thriller

[ thril-er ]
/ ˈθrɪl ər /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR thriller ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person or thing that thrills.
an exciting, suspenseful play or story, especially a mystery story.

QUIZZES

PRACTICE SOME ESCAPISM WITH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

We salute you if you remember all the doovers from Word of the Day between May 25 and May 31!
Question 1 of 7
salute
to call out to in order to stop, attract attention, ask aid, etc.
to wield power; exercise rule.
to express respect or praise for; honor; commend.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of thriller

1885–90; 1920–25 for def 2; thrill + -er1

Words nearby thriller

thriftshop, thrifty, thrill, thrill to pieces, thrill-seeker, thriller, thrilling, thrippence, thrips, thrive, thrix
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to thriller

riddle, conundrum, subtlety, question, enigma, secrecy, problem, tension, anxiety, apprehension, confusion, uncertainty, doubt, insecurity, puzzlement, shocker, mystification, perplexity, stickler, cliffhanger

Example sentences from the Web for thriller

British Dictionary definitions for thriller

thriller
/ (ˈθrɪlə) /

noun

a book, film, play, etc, depicting crime, mystery, or espionage in an atmosphere of excitement and suspense
a person or thing that thrills
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

Cultural definitions for thriller

thriller

A suspenseful, sensational story or film: “Ken Follett writes best-selling spy thrillers.”

notes for thriller

In Great Britain, the word thriller is sometimes used for all mystery novels: “Martha Grimes, an American, writes British-style thrillers.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.