thrilling

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

Synonyms of thrilling

• exciting
• breathtaking
• interesting
• intriguing

Examples of thrilling in a Sentence

a thrilling adventure movie

Recent Examples on the Web

Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents' Association, said in a statement that the renowned performing artist will offer a thrilling glimpse into the minds of newsmakers. —Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026

The thrilling drama will be directed by Jeremy Herrin, who staged, with Duncan Macmillan the current Broadway hit Every Brilliant Thing, starring Daniel Radcliffe in a role that Mariska Hargitay will take over from May 26. —Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026

Capturing the image of king penguins swimming through the dense kelp forests in the remote sub-Antarctic territories was a thrilling challenge and an awe-inspiring experience. —Photovogue, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2026

His dancing is easily among the production’s most thrilling assets. —Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1768, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for thrilling

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