thrilled; thrilling; thrills
1
transitive
: to cause (someone) to experience a strong feeling of enjoyable excitement
The news thrilled him.
a performance that thrilled the crowd
It's just one of the 35 breathtaking stunts the 47-year-old daredevil pilot uses to thrill spectators at airshows across the country.—
Jean Bryant
see also thrilled, thrilling
Jean Bryant2
intransitive
: to experience a surge of excitement and pleasure
They thrilled to the sound of his voice.
She remembers that her father thrilled to see his daughter's name in print …—David Ansen
David AnsenFrom the beginning, Americans thrilled to the Hubble's potential to do dramatic science, to take us intellectually where no one has gone before.—Chet Raymo
Chet RaymoKit thrilled at the sight of the familiar red coats.—Elizabeth George Speare
Elizabeth George Speare3
intransitive,
chiefly literary
a
: to move or pass so as to cause a sudden wave of emotion
… a faint cold fear thrills through my veins …—William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
b
: tremble entry 1, vibrate
… the very rocks seem to thrill with life.—John Muir
John Muir
plural thrills
1
a
: a feeling of great excitement or happiness
The thrill isn't gone from our marriage after all this time.
the thrill of discovery/victory
"The most fun thing I've done so far," [Dorothy] Parke reports, "is put my foot through a window. It was only breakaway glass; but it was my first stunt, and it gave me such a thrill."—Paul Francis
Paul Francis
b
: a tingling of or as if of the nerves produced by a sudden emotional reaction
a thrill of horror
a thrill of pride/pleasure/anticipation
Harry felt a thrill of dread: He was about to pay for what had just happened, he was sure of it.—J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling2
: a very exciting or enjoyable event or experience
What a thrill it was to see the Queen!
a movie with a lot of thrills and chills [=exciting and frightening parts]
the thrills and spills of skateboarding
He had always fancied himself as having a fine voice, and now to hear it from his wife's own lips was a real thrill.—E. B. White
E. B. WhiteSynonyms
Examples of thrill in a Sentence
Verb
Circus performers still thrill audiences today.
I was thrilled by their decision.
Recent Examples on the WebWilliam Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2024
While his fans must be thrilled that the pop singer has returned, his comeback isn’t as impressive as some may have hoped.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Fast forward to Friday when Lampkin was one of the heroes in the Colorado Buffaloes’ thrilling 102-100 win over Florida in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Mar. 2024
Like many parents of autistic children, Misty Richard was thrilled in 2017 to find a clinic close to her home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that could help her son, Javier Bautista, known as J.J.
—Gretchen Morgenson, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2024
On Saturday her teammates were thrilled return the favor.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2024
Patagonia Better Sweater Fleece Vest Best REI Shoe Deals
Footwear lovers and sneakerheads will be thrilled to sort through the impressive selection of shoes that are available at a discount to REI members, including everything from hiking boots to trail running sneakers.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024
Peters helped Gilroy win its fifth consecutive game in thrilling fashion.
—Darren Sabedra, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024
Her fiancé was thrilled by the news — and so was Armstrong after the initial shock.
—Janay Kingsberry, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024
Kevin Barry, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
There’s nothing quite like the thrill of excavating your sandals from the depths of your closet at the first signs of spring — well, except for buying a new pair, that is.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2024
There are eight students per group with two passengers per car, which adds to the thrill of the experience.
—Daniel Golson / Jalopnik, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2024
But forget the buzzer beaters—the real thrill is the fun foods that fuel fans through the season.
—Kara Peeler, Sunset Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
From the casual thrill of Arrive and Drive sessions starting at $26.95 per race to the competitive edge of the Challenge GP leagues, there's something for everyone.
—The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
Learn more › Biting the heads off chocolate bunnies is fun, but the real thrill of Easter is dyeing eggs.
—Annie Colbert, Popular Science, 27 Mar. 2024
Share [Findings] Young burglars are driven first by thrills, then by skills.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
While the coming-of-age series will indeed return to thrill and traumatize, production on the show’s third season has again been delayed.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 25 Mar. 2024
Verb
Rudd, thrilled by the theme of Wiig’s monologue, couldn’t contain himself.
—William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2024
While his fans must be thrilled that the pop singer has returned, his comeback isn’t as impressive as some may have hoped.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Fast forward to Friday when Lampkin was one of the heroes in the Colorado Buffaloes’ thrilling 102-100 win over Florida in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Mar. 2024
Like many parents of autistic children, Misty Richard was thrilled in 2017 to find a clinic close to her home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that could help her son, Javier Bautista, known as J.J.
—Gretchen Morgenson, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2024
On Saturday her teammates were thrilled return the favor.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2024
Patagonia Better Sweater Fleece Vest Best REI Shoe Deals
Footwear lovers and sneakerheads will be thrilled to sort through the impressive selection of shoes that are available at a discount to REI members, including everything from hiking boots to trail running sneakers.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024
Peters helped Gilroy win its fifth consecutive game in thrilling fashion.
—Darren Sabedra, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024
Her fiancé was thrilled by the news — and so was Armstrong after the initial shock.
—Janay Kingsberry, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024
Noun
His moods were swift and ever changing and the thrill of his escape fell away now on a quick grade to emptiness.
—Kevin Barry, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
There’s nothing quite like the thrill of excavating your sandals from the depths of your closet at the first signs of spring — well, except for buying a new pair, that is.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2024
There are eight students per group with two passengers per car, which adds to the thrill of the experience.
—Daniel Golson / Jalopnik, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2024
But forget the buzzer beaters—the real thrill is the fun foods that fuel fans through the season.
—Kara Peeler, Sunset Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
From the casual thrill of Arrive and Drive sessions starting at $26.95 per race to the competitive edge of the Challenge GP leagues, there's something for everyone.
—The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
Learn more › Biting the heads off chocolate bunnies is fun, but the real thrill of Easter is dyeing eggs.
—Annie Colbert, Popular Science, 27 Mar. 2024
Share [Findings] Young burglars are driven first by thrills, then by skills.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
While the coming-of-age series will indeed return to thrill and traumatize, production on the show’s third season has again been delayed.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 25 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thrill.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near thrill
Cite this Entry
“Thrill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thrill. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
thrill
noun
: an abnormal fine tremor or vibration in the respiratory or circulatory systems felt on palpation
a continuous systolic and diastolic murmur, frequently associated with a thrill—R. L. Cecil & R. F. Loeb
R. L. Cecil & R. F. LoebLove words? Need even more definitions?
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