thrill

verb \ ˈthril \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Examples: thrill in a Sentence

Definition of thrill

thrilled; thrilling; thrills

transitive verb

1 a : 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

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thrill

noun

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thrillingly

play \ˈthri-liŋ-lē\ adverb

See thrill defined for English-language learners

See thrill defined for kids

Examples of thrill in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of thrill from the Web

Andrew’s mother Melissa told Fox News that he has been thrilled from the start to have a younger brother.

— meghan overdeep, Southern Living, "WATCH: Nine-Year-Old’s Lemonade Stand Raises $6,000 for Baby Brother Battling Rare Disease," 30 May 2018
If the Dolphins get anything close to that level of production out of Baker, they will be thrilled.

— adam h. beasley, miamiherald, "Ryan Shazier an inspiration for Dolphins' Jerome Baker: 'He's never going to quit' | Miami Herald," 17 May 2018
Welby said on Twitter that he was thrilled the couple selected Curry to give the address.

— elyssa cherney, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago-born bishop to preach at royal wedding," 12 May 2018
The idea of a helicopter flying the skies of another planet is thrilling.

— mahita gajanan, Fortune, "NASA Is Sending a Helicopter to Mars," 12 May 2018
The idea of a helicopter flying the skies of another planet is thrilling.

— loren grush, The Verge, "The Mars Helicopter is happening, y’all," 11 May 2018
Before the game, Manager Mickey Callaway said he was thrilled with Cespedes’s overall play despite an early skid.

— james wagner, New York Times, "Braves Youth Movement Looks Awfully Grown Up in Win Over Mets," 1 May 2018
But the students behind the March for Our Lives aren't thrilled with the changes.

— luke darby, GQ, "How the Parkland Students Are Using Their Clear Backpacks for Protest," 4 Apr. 2018
Kim Mesquita, a Glendale Union High School District spokeswoman, said she and others were thrilled by the city's decision.

— perry vandell, azcentral, "Political scuffle follows Glendale's decision to add police at high schools," 29 Mar. 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.

Origin and Etymology of thrill

Middle English thirlen, thrillen to pierce, from Old English thyrlian, from thyrel hole, from thurh through — more at ¹through

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1592

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

thrill Synonyms

Synonyms

charge, electrify, excite, exhilarate, galvanize, intoxicate, pump up, titillate, turn on;

Near Antonyms

bore, jade, pall, tire, weary;

deject, demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dispirit;

bewitch, captivate, charm, delight, enchant, enthrall (or enthral), hypnotize, mesmerize, rivet, spellbind;

interest, intrigue, tantalize;

THRILL Defined for English Language Learners

thrill

verb

Definition of thrill for English Language Learners

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

THRILL Defined for Kids

thrill

verb \ ˈthril \

Definition of thrill for Students

thrilled; thrilling

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

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thriller

noun

History for thrill

In the 1300s a person who was thrilled might not live long enough to tell about it, because the Middle English verb thrillen—the ancestor of our word thrill—meant literally “to pierce” or “stab,” as with a sword or spear. Thrillen was a variant of thirlen, which continued Old English thyrlian, derived from thyrel, “hole.” (The word thyrel also entered into Old English nosthyrl, literally, “nose hole,” the ancestor of modern English nostril.) Because the feeling of being pierced is a little like the experience of being moved by a strong emotion, thrill came to mean “to cause someone to feel excited.”