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
- thrillingly adverb
- unthrilling adjective
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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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.
They can recreate the moment again, this time with real postseason stakes, but the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference will be missing a key component from those thrilling wins.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
Bath held off a brave effort from Saracens to book their place in the Champions Cup quarter-finals with a thrilling 31-22 win at The Rec.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
Doncic’s brilliant March unified the team behind his most valuable player push, his thrilling shot-making and even his smiling dunk against Washington.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
On the album closer, Strength In Me, she repeats the line "I know I'm gonna survive this" over and over as the music swells in a thrilling crescendo.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
Not only did I have a new dress and a thrilling new story—I had the good company of Jemma’s letters, the Mississippian and State Gazette, and “Honest Abe” Lincoln to see me home.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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.
