thrill

1 of 2

verb

thrilled; thrilling; thrills
1
transitive : to cause (someone) to experience a strong feeling of enjoyable excitement
The news thrilled him.
a performance that thrilled the crowd
It's just one of the 35 breathtaking stunts the 47-year-old daredevil pilot uses to thrill spectators at airshows across the country.Jean Bryant
see also thrilled, thrilling
2
intransitive : to experience a surge of excitement and pleasure
They thrilled to the sound of his voice.
She remembers that her father thrilled to see his daughter's name in print …David Ansen
From the beginning, Americans thrilled to the Hubble's potential to do dramatic science, to take us intellectually where no one has gone before.Chet Raymo
Kit thrilled at the sight of the familiar red coats.Elizabeth George Speare
3
intransitive, chiefly literary
a
: to move or pass so as to cause a sudden wave of emotion
… a faint cold fear thrills through my veins …William Shakespeare
b
: tremble entry 1, vibrate
… the very rocks seem to thrill with life.John Muir

thrill

2 of 2

noun

plural thrills
1
a
: 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

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
Conversations about the future of artificial intelligence can be found all over SXSW this year — and not all of the festival’s attendees are thrilled with the idea. Michael Schneider, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024 But a report on LGBTQ workers across generations shows that younger members of the group are less than thrilled with how their employers handle inclusion, according to a new survey of more than 500 LGBTQ employees conducted by professional services firm EY. Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024 Speaking after the game against Miami, Kidd was equally as thrilled by Dončić’s performance. Thomas Schlachter, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024 The cast of American Fiction includes Wright, Sterling K. Brown, Tracee Ellis Ross and Leslie Uggams, and Alexander was particularly thrilled to be working with such a talented cast. Victoria Edel, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024 The Bucks star, known off the court for his sense of humor and playful attitude, was thrilled when Starry approached him with the idea. Shane Young, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Yet as the years went on, a hybrid compromise was reached which, while creating grudging acceptance, didn’t necessarily thrill anyone. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 So when Intuitive Machines touched down Thursday, NASA was thrilled, even if since then not everything has gone according to plan. Christian Davenport, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024 The immediacy of the acoustics, the intimate connection between the musicians and listeners, the warmth and visual allure of the interior — all were thrilling. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024
Noun
And Jones delivers plenty of thrills as our heroes cover 435 miles in five-plus days, peaking in a zip-line misadventure packed with white-knuckle antics and tension-cutting quips. Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 This version gives you the thrill of a real casino with live dealers and high potential returns. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 While customers enjoyed the thrill of visits to the underground bakery, Leonard’s neighbors were less impressed. Detroit Free Press, 10 Mar. 2024 In addition, wrap-around masks, geometric constructions, eye-catching hues, and mirrored lenses evoke the thrill of racing. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2024 By the close of the 20th century, adventure tourism companies were marketing the rocky routes as an alternative to mountain climbing, an activity with all of the thrill of a cliffside ascent and none of the risk. Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024 Share [Findings] Young burglars are driven first by thrills, then by skills. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024 At first, Roy and Mandy ended their story here, with this slightly ambiguous thrill. Fiona McFarlane, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Since the 1990s, via ferratas have drawn adventure tourists who seek the thrill of mountain climbing but lack the necessary skills to scale the rock on their own. Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thrill.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Noun

circa 1680, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of thrill was in 1599

Dictionary Entries Near thrill

Cite this Entry

“Thrill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thrill. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

thrill

1 of 2 verb
ˈthril
1
: to experience or cause to experience a sudden strong feeling of excitement
the news thrilled him
2
: vibrate sense 2, tremble
a voice thrilling with emotion

thrill

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: a sudden strong emotion often accompanied by a tingling sensation
gets a thrill of excitement from riding the roller coaster
felt a thrill of fear
b
: something that thrills
seeing my picture in the newspaper was a thrill
2
Etymology

Verb

Middle English thirlen, thrillen "to pierce," from Old English thyrlian (same meaning) from thyrel "a hole," from thurh "through" — related to nostril, thorough, through

Word Origin
Today when we speak of being thrilled, we are referring to a very pleasing experience. But it was not always so. The Old English word thyrlian, which gave us thrill, meant "to pierce" as with an arrow or spear. The Old English word came from an earlier word thyrel, meaning "hole." Thyrel has also given us two other Modern English words, through and thorough. It has also given us the last half of the word nostril, which literally means "nose hole." During the Middle English period the verb thyrlian became thirlen and continued to mean "to pierce." It also was the basis of the new verb thrillen, meaning "to penetrate." Then a connection was made between the physical sensation of being pierced and the emotional feeling of being suddenly and sharply excited. A new sense was born, which became the chief meaning of our thrill.

Medical Definition

thrill

noun
: 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 thrillR. L. Cecil & R. F. Loeb

More from Merriam-Webster on thrill

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