thrill
Americanverb (used with object)
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thrills,
present (3rd person singular)
-
thrilled,
past participle, past
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thrilling
present participle
-
to affect with a sudden wave of keen emotion or excitement, as to produce a tremor or tingling sensation through the body.
-
to utter or send forth tremulously, as a melody.
verb (used without object)
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thrills,
present (3rd person singular)
-
thrilled,
past participle, past
-
thrilling
present participle
-
to affect one with a wave of emotion or excitement.
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to be stirred by a tremor or tingling sensation of emotion or excitement.
He thrilled at the thought of home.
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to cause a prickling or tingling sensation.
Brisk cold thrills the skin.
noun
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thrills
plural
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a sudden wave of keen emotion or excitement, sometimes manifested as a tremor or tingling sensation passing through the body.
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something that produces or is capable of producing such a sensation.
a story full of thrills.
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a thrilling experience.
It was a thrill to see Paris again.
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a vibration or quivering.
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Pathology. an abnormal tremor or vibration, as in the respiratory or vascular system.
noun
-
a sudden sensation of excitement and pleasure
seeing his book for sale gave him a thrill
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a situation producing such a sensation
it was a thrill to see Rome for the first time
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a trembling sensation caused by fear or emotional shock
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pathol an abnormal slight tremor associated with a heart or vascular murmur, felt on palpation
verb
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to feel or cause to feel a thrill
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to tremble or cause to tremble; vibrate or quiver
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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thrillsimple
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thrillssimple
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have thrilledperfect
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has thrilledperfect
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am thrillingprogressive
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are thrillingprogressive
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is thrillingprogressive
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have been thrillingperfect progressive
-
has been thrillingperfect progressive
Past
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thrilledsimple
-
had thrilledperfect
-
was thrillingprogressive
-
were thrillingprogressive
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had been thrillingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of thrill
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English thrillen originally, “to penetrate,” metathetic variant of thirlen “to pierce; thrill” ( see thirl)
Explanation
Thrill doesn’t refer to any old type of excitement; this stuff is intense. For many people, the experience of riding a roller coaster provides a great thrill, or an intense feeling of excitement. Thrill comes from an Old English word meaning “pierce,” suggesting the metaphor of being “pierced by emotion.” Thrill is often used in a strictly positive sense, though it can also refer to the unique combination of terror and pleasure that some people experience in certain situations — for example, when riding death-defying roller coasters or watching frightening flicks (often called thrillers).
Vocabulary lists containing thrill
Vocabulary Review, Unit 1
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Unit 10, Week 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
On its "thrill scale", Six Flags ranks Goliath at level four out of five.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Whether I’m opting for a test myself or my physician orders it, I always get a little thrill when technology offers a new view of what is happening inside my body.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
It’s a thrill to see him play the saboteur.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
Krista Ellis, the district’s head of school nurses, described the cans as a kind of status symbol—vibrant packaging paired with the thrill of a head rush.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
“It’s a curse. The problem with machines is that nobody ever gets the thrill of seeing a message come out.”
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
One of the thrills of that night in Falmouth was seeing our special guest, Andy Cato from Groove Armada, artfully weaving an array of tracks.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Perhaps the production was so focused on making sure all the actors looked pallid, and every scene lifeless, that they forgot to add the thrills and chills.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
These are low-frills thrills, and all the more insidiously effective for it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
"Solar eclipse thrills Europe" says the Financial Times.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Jumping off a high dive, or riding a roller coaster with multiple loops, or passing a note to Scott Thomas—those were all voluntary thrills.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
"I don't have to take a drug or wear a device…it's just a part of my body now that will be with me for the rest of my days, so that I'm thrilled with."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
The Diocese of Sheffield, thrilled by the sight of students queueing down the road to worship to the pulsing sound of house music, fast-tracked Brain's route to priesthood despite the reservations of his ordination tutor.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
"Today we're thrilled to announce that Mesabi Metallics will be building the largest steel plant in American history in the great state of Iowa," Trump said in the Oval Office.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
“She was so proud of her vocal and the recording. She was thrilled with it. We were very nervous that she might not approve, or would be uncomfortable with it, but she loved it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Shaking from head to foot, thrilled with ungovernable excitement, I continued—
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
England's 41-match unbeaten streak ended in dramatic fashion as Shoshanah Seumanutafa's late try handed Canada a thrilling 24-21 victory in Toronto.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
A thrilling playoff game versus Milwaukee turns on a collision between a possible home run and the roof.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Variations from one medium to the other is a part of the process, and Martínez Celaya said he finds both thrilling and challenging.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
Ride a thrilling, creature-heavy makeover of Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: Breakout! in Disney California Adventure.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Smith was an eccentric rebel who surrounded himself with people interested in the progressive issues of the day, and Elizabeth found the environment at his home a thrilling contrast to her father’s safe, conservative household.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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