Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for thriller

thriller

[thril-er]

noun

  1. a person or thing that thrills.

  2. an exciting, suspenseful play or story, especially a mystery story.



thriller

/ ˈθrɪlə /

noun

  1. a book, film, play, etc, depicting crime, mystery, or espionage in an atmosphere of excitement and suspense

  2. 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

thriller

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

Discover More

In Great Britain, the word thriller is sometimes used for all mystery novels: “Martha Grimes, an American, writes British-style thrillers.”
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of thriller1

1885–90; 1920–25 thriller for def. 2; thrill + -er 1
Discover More

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.

He hopes people are embracing the thriller elements of “Task,” of course.

From Salon

“Gone Before Goodbye” is not some magpie creature patched together from shopworn thriller tropes, even if certain plot elements feel a bit much.

The writer and director won an Oscar for Promising Young Woman in 2021, but is best known for last year's psychological thriller Saltburn, which gained cult status for a succession of provocative and confrontational scenes.

From BBC

The series is very much a heightened thriller, Martin said, but with a very clear message.

“One Battle After Another,” the name of Paul Thomas Anderson’s invigorating political thriller, would also make a fine title for the history of humankind.

Advertisement

Related Words

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


thrilledthrilling