thriller
Americannoun
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a person or thing that thrills.
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an exciting, suspenseful play or story, especially a mystery story.
noun
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a book, film, play, etc, depicting crime, mystery, or espionage in an atmosphere of excitement and suspense
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a person or thing that thrills
Discover More
In Great Britain, the word thriller is sometimes used for all mystery novels: “Martha Grimes, an American, writes British-style thrillers.”
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of thriller
1885–90; 1920–25 thriller for def. 2; thrill + -er 1
Explanation
A thriller is a suspenseful movie, TV show, book, or play. If you love thrillers, you probably enjoy mysterious plots, suspicious characters, and being on the edge of your seat. Thrillers are known for being exciting and sometimes scary, evoking emotions like anticipation, fear, and suspense. They tend to use plot twists and cliffhangers to keep an audience or reader intrigued, and they often feature a villain. The literary label thriller first appeared in the late 1800s, from the verb thrill, "give a shivering, excited feeling."
Vocabulary lists containing thriller
Literary Genres - Introductory
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Literary Genres - Advanced
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Reading: Literature - Literary Genres - Middle School
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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.
Jackson was known for worldwide hits such as Billie Jean, Beat It, Smooth Criminal and Black or White, while 1982's Thriller is the biggest-selling album of all time.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
Somehow, nearly every song from Midwest Princess has become a modern anthem, elevating the album to the status of classics like Thriller, Rumours and Back To Black.
From BBC • Aug. 22, 2025
At least according to the AI study we commissioned at International Thriller Writers, where I currently serve as co-president with Lisa Unger.
From Salon • Oct. 1, 2024
The hip-hop star's only solo album "The Miseducation of Ms. Lauryn Hill" which came out in 1998 beat out Michael Jackson's "Thriller" for the top spot on the music list.
From Salon • May 22, 2024
Bruce and Glen Proctor, the twins behind the BruceGlen brand, gave a superhero vibe in their colorful “Thrills” tracksuits in layered v-lapels recalling Michael Jackson’s Thriller jacket.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 21, 2024
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
