thrill

[ thril ]

/ θrɪl /

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See synonyms for: thrill / thrilled / thrilling / thrills on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

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)

to affect one with a wave of emotion or excitement.

to be stirred by a tremor or tingling sensation of emotion or excitement: He thrilled at the thought of home.

to move tremulously; vibrate; quiver.

to cause a prickling or tingling sensation: Brisk cold thrills the skin.

noun

a sudden wave of keen emotion or excitement, sometimes manifested as a tremor or tingling sensation passing through the body.

something that produces or is capable of producing such a sensation: a story full of thrills.

a thrilling experience: It was a thrill to see Paris again.

a vibration or quivering.

Pathology. an abnormal tremor or vibration, as in the respiratory or vascular system.

OTHER WORDS FOR thrill

3 excite, electrify, stir.

5 flutter, tremble, quake.

See synonyms for thrill on Thesaurus.com

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Question 1 of 7

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of thrill

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English thrillen originally, “to penetrate,” metathetic variant of thirlen “to pierce; thrill” (see thirl)

OTHER WORDS FROM thrill

sub·thrill, noun

Words nearby thrill

thrice, thrift, thriftless, thriftshop, thrifty, thrill, thrilled, thriller, thrilling, thrill-seeker, thrill to pieces

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use thrill in a sentence

For better or worse, this thrill doesn’t translate well on a video call, so if you were counting on your audience’s immediate feedback, you’re pretty much on your own.
These public speaking techniques can help you look smart on video calls|Sandra Gutierrez G.|October 6, 2020|Popular-Science
This show is never high-concept nonstop thrills, but what makes it work is the flair and charm of the writing and the character insights it produces.
Every episode of Gilmore Girls, ranked|Constance Grady|October 6, 2020|Vox
Remember, the great thrill of a honeymoon isn’t about where you go.
How to Live Big with a Chronic Illness|Blair Braverman|October 2, 2020|Outside Online
Performance researcher Richard Schechner coined the term in 1988 to describe how we seek thrills by subverting harmless fun.
Playing bad can shape behavior, but not in the way you think|Erin Blakemore|September 28, 2020|Popular-Science

It’s not only great value, but I absolutely love the thrill of the hunt.
The CEO striving to make vintage, secondhand clothing as popular as fast fashion|Rachel King|September 6, 2020|Fortune
For Paul, the thrill of breakfast with the Reverend, may be giving way to the taste of burnt toast.
GOP Won’t Forgive Rand for Cop Critique|Lloyd Green|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Get a thrill, get off a lucky shot, take home a trophy, put it up in a secret chamber of our heart.
McConaughey’s ‘Stand’—And Ours|James Poulos|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A wonderful accomplishment by Kevin and his team and a thrill for Les and Leslie Parrott.
How the Religious Right Scams Its Way Onto the New York Times Bestseller List|Warren Throckmorton|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Most of us in that category can remember the thrill of seeing our words appear in public for the first time.
You Can Look It Up: The Wikipedia Story|Walter Isaacson|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It surely however gives a certain type of feller a thrill, dark and shameful though it may be.
The Dirty Secret Doctors Don't Want You To Know|Kent Sepkowitz|August 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He didn't understand her but the thrill of what was to come overwhelmed him, and in the next instant he held her in his arms.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
Presently the Queen of Asturia was escorted to a seat, and the little thrill of excitement passed off.
The Weight of the Crown|Fred M. White
This is his great forte, and to hear him speak, sends a thrill through the whole system, and a tremor through the brain.
The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States|Martin R. Delany
A thrill and a murmur had run round the brilliant assembly as the King of Asturia came in.
The Weight of the Crown|Fred M. White
This hour gives to the imaginative in every land a thrill, a yearning, and a pang of visual regeneration.
The Dragon Painter|Mary McNeil Fenollosa

British Dictionary definitions for thrill

thrill

/ (θrɪl) /

noun

a sudden sensation of excitement and pleasureseeing his book for sale gave him a thrill

a situation producing such a sensationit was a thrill to see Rome for the first time

a trembling sensation caused by fear or emotional shock

pathol an abnormal slight tremor associated with a heart or vascular murmur, felt on palpation

verb

to feel or cause to feel a thrill

to tremble or cause to tremble; vibrate or quiver

Word Origin for thrill

Old English thӯrlian to pierce, from thyrel hole; see nostril, through

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

thrill

OTHER WORDS FOR thrill

Origin of thrill

OTHER WORDS FROM thrill

Words nearby thrill

Words related to thrill

How to use thrill in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for thrill

Word Origin for thrill