thrill
Americanverb (used with object)
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to affect with a sudden wave of keen emotion or excitement, as to produce a tremor or tingling sensation through the body.
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to utter or send forth tremulously, as a melody.
verb (used without object)
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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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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
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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
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
Selection Vocabulary 3, Unit 3
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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.
Imagine the thrill for players of the two teams who reach the final.
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
There’s been the thrill of artificial-intelligence spending starting to pipe through the economy like oxygen.
From MarketWatch • May 10, 2026
In early 2026, Wild London saw him revisit the capital's wild side, including the "huge thrill" of a meeting with some urban foxes.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
Today the big black-and-white birds with their red screwdriver bills thrill East Coast beachgoers with their emphatic whistles once again.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
Trip said, turning to Moody at last, and Moody felt a mean thrill shoot through him.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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.
