Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

page-turner

American  
[peyj-tur-ner] / ˈpeɪdʒˌtɜr nər /

noun

  1. a book so exciting or gripping that one is compelled to read it very rapidly.

page-turner British  

noun

  1. an exciting novel, such as a thriller, with a fast-moving story

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of page-turner

First recorded in 1970–75

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.

She might profitably have removed the scaffolding of the research, avoided extraneous detail and produced more of a page-turner.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

This account has no great literary merit, but it’s an undeniable page-turner with utility to anyone contemplating the lifestyle.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 13, 2026

The story: This epic page-turner is about a family derailing and the secrets they keep.

From BBC • Nov. 25, 2023

Cassidy Hutchinson has written the first real page-turner among the Trump administration memoirs.

From Slate • Oct. 2, 2023

Tim O’Reilly Publisher and Founder, O’Reilly and Associates Doctorow has created a rich and exciting vision of the future, and then wrote a page-turner of a story in it.

From Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Doctorow, Cory

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.