thrill

verb

\ ˈthril

thrilled; thrilling; thrills

Definition of thrill

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to cause to experience a sudden sharp feeling of excitement the news thrilled him

b : to cause to have a shivering or tingling sensation

2 : to cause to vibrate or tremble perceptibly

intransitive verb

1 : to become thrilled:

a : to experience a sudden sharp excitement

b : tingle, throb

2 : to move or pass so as to cause a sudden wave of emotion

3 : tremble, vibrate

thrill

noun

plural thrills

Definition of thrill (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : a feeling of great excitement or happiness The thrill isn't gone from our marriage after all this time. the thrill of discovery/victory "The most fun thing I've done so far," [Dorothy] Parke reports, "is put my foot through a window. It was only breakaway glass; but it was my first stunt, and it gave me such a thrill."— Paul Francis

b : a tingling of or as if of the nerves produced by a sudden emotional reaction a thrill of horror a thrill of pride/pleasure/anticipation Harry felt a thrill of dread: He was about to pay for what had just happened, he was sure of it.— J. K. Rowling

2 : a very exciting or enjoyable event or experience What a thrill it was to see the Queen! a movie with a lot of thrills and chills [=exciting and frightening parts] the thrills and spills of skateboarding He had always fancied himself as having a fine voice, and now to hear it from his wife's own lips was a real thrill.— E. B. White

Other Words from thrill Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about thrill

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of thrill in a Sentence

Verb

Circus performers still thrill audiences today. I was thrilled by their decision.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Scorah says that her missionary work thrilled her at first. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE.com, "Ex-Jehovah’s Witness Opens Up About the 'Devastation' of Her Baby's Death at Daycare," 10 June 2019 Deep Time at the National Museum of Natural History: The National Museum of Natural History’s fossil hall reopens Saturday after being closed since 2014 — news that should thrill dinosaur fans of all ages. — Washington Post, "17 things to do in the D.C. area this weekend," 7 June 2019 The woman who will wear these gowns (or at least dream of wearing them) couldn’t get excited about the streetwear thing; what thrills her is color, emotion, and fantasy. — Emily Farra, Vogue, "Caroline Hu Is Our First Discovery of NYFW—And Her Dresses Belong at the Oscars," 10 Feb. 2019 Game of Thrones came to an end last week and many fans were, well, less than thrilled with the show's ending. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "'Game of Thrones' Dialogue Data Reveals How Little Characters Spoke in Later Seasons," 26 May 2019 Tegan and Sara's devoted fans are thrilled that the sisters created something so cute. — Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, "Tegan and Sara Collaborated on Rainbow Teva Sandals for Pride Month, and Fans Are Losing It," 22 May 2019 The same CEOs who were excited about the Trump tax cuts are less than thrilled with his trade war. — Emily Stewart, Vox, "What the Republican tax bill did — and didn’t — do, one year later," 18 Dec. 2018 Though some fans aren’t thrilled with her portrayal of the character that was formerly played by Molly Ephraim, there are plenty of supporters out there who think McCook is doing just fine. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "'Last Man Standing' Fans Shut Down Molly McCook's Haters After Recast Drama," 29 Oct. 2018 Fans were thrilled to receive all of this news, and quickly took to social media to share their excitement. — Alessandra Rincón, Billboard, "Fans React to Twenty One Pilots' Comeback: See the Best Tweets," 11 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'thrill.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for thrill

thrill

verb

English Language Learners Definition of thrill

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to cause (someone) to feel very excited or happy

: to feel very excited or happy about something

thrill

noun

English Language Learners Definition of thrill (Entry 2 of 2)

: a feeling of great excitement or happiness

: a very exciting or enjoyable event or experience

See the full definition for thrill in the English Language Learners Dictionary

thrill

verb

\ ˈthril

thrilled; thrilling

Kids Definition of thrill

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to have or cause to have a sudden feeling of excitement or pleasure

thrill

noun

Kids Definition of thrill (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a sudden strong feeling especially of excitement or happiness the thrill of victory … Harry felt a sudden thrill of foreboding.— J. K. Rowling, Goblet of Fire

2 : something that produces a feeling of excitement The boys went into town in search of thrills.

thrill

noun

\ ˈthril

Medical Definition of thrill

: an abnormal fine tremor or vibration in the respiratory or circulatory systems felt on palpation a continuous systolic and diastolic murmur, frequently associated with a thrill— R. L. Cecil & R. F. Loeb