- present participle of thrill.
thrilling
Americanadjective
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producing sudden, strong, and deep emotion or excitement.
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producing a tremor, as by chilling.
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vibrating; trembling; quivering.
adjective
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very exciting or stimulating
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vibrating or trembling
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of thrilling
Explanation
When something is thrilling, it makes you feel excited or exhilarated. Roller coasters are thrilling for some people—other people just find them nauseating. If your heart is beating fast and you feel absolutely elated, something thrilling is happening. Some of us find it thrilling to speak in front of a crowd or to dive into a cold lake. It's also thrilling to see your favorite movie star in person or to get a poem published in a magazine. The adjective thrilling comes from the verb thrill, which originally meant "pierce," and later "give a shivering excitement" or "pierce with emotion."
Vocabulary lists containing thrilling
List 1
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Amazing, List 1
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Amazing
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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.
Hundreds of euphoric supporters welcomed home Egypt's national football team on Friday after the country's best-ever performance at the World Cup, which ended with a thrilling last-16 exit to Argentina.
From Barron's • Jul. 10, 2026
But dig deeper, and one will find that Tyler’s discography is brimming with hits that put her unmistakable rasp to thrilling use.
From Salon • Jul. 9, 2026
Thiero, who missed last year’s summer league because of a knee injury, had 13 points in the Lakers’ thrilling, 93-91 double-overtime win over the Miami Heat on Sunday at Chase Center.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 5, 2026
"This is a thrilling opportunity for fans to get up close with never-before-seen objects from Bowie's personal archive and to celebrate his remarkable story and extraordinary creative imagination."
From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026
It's not exactly thrilling to see her, but there's a kind of weighty relief in seeing anyone with whom I have a history.
From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper
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.
