thrilling

1 of 2

adjective

thrill·​ing ˈthri-liŋ 

: causing a feeling of great excitement or happiness

a thrilling discovery

a thrilling performance

… flashes into the end zone to give the Rams the winning touchdown in the most thrilling Super Bowl finish ever.

—Rick Reilly

thrillingly

ˈthri-liŋ-lē 

adverb

Who, in fact, are the good guys and who are the bad guys in the dramas that unfold here so thrillingly?

—Marie Winn

… this is a powerful and thrillingly strange movie …

—Terrence Rafferty

thrilling

2 of 2

present participle of thrill entry 1

Synonyms of thrilling

Adjective

• exciting
• breathtaking
• interesting
• intriguing

Examples of thrilling in a Sentence

Adjective

a thrilling adventure movie

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Watching the models spiral down the staircase of what was once home to Barney's New York made each look feel even more thrilling. — Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026

Seemingly moments after staring the Dodgers down with a thrilling Game 2 victory, the Braves essentially have been consigned to their rearview mirror. — Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

So despite pitching 12 innings in two starts over the previous seven days, King stepped up and finished it off — but only after a thrilling ninth. — ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026

Capturing the whole of the set-up, a Mediterranean pile on the north-west coast of Cyprus, framing its splendid size, its weighty elegance, its thrilling solidity, is challenging. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1768, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for thrilling

• billing
• chilling
• drilling
• filling
• grilling
• killing
• milling
• pilling
• rilling
• schilling
• shilling
• skilling