thrill

1 of 2

verb

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
2
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
From 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
Kit thrilled at the sight of the familiar red coats.Elizabeth George Speare
3
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
b
: tremble entry 1, vibrate
… the very rocks seem to thrill with life.John Muir

thrill

2 of 2

noun

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
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
2
: 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

Examples of thrill in a Sentence

Verb Circus performers still thrill audiences today. I was thrilled by their decision. Noun everyone gets a real thrill out of the Independence Day fireworks
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Verb
Thanks to the padded fabric sleeve, our tester was thrilled at how durable the Storypod was, withstanding a few drops down the stairs. Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 2 Nov. 2024 And while the spectacle thrilled his supporters who were there for about seven hours, Democrats believe the divisive rhetoric will alienate swing voters as the candidates make their closing arguments. Alex Thompson, Axios, 28 Oct. 2024
Noun
Other people involved in the shipwreck world—maritime archeologists, divers, treasure hunters—speak of the thrill and addiction of their discoveries. Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024 Once released, the thrill level for the 7- to 8-minute ride is entirely up to the lead rider, who controls the speed via a hand brake. Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for thrill 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English thirlen, thrillen to pierce, from Old English thyrlian, from thyrel hole, from thurh through — more at through entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Noun

circa 1680, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of thrill was in 1599

Dictionary Entries Near thrill

Cite this Entry

“Thrill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thrill. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

thrill

1 of 2 verb
ˈthril
1
: to experience or cause to experience a sudden strong feeling of excitement
the news thrilled him
2
: vibrate sense 2, tremble
a voice thrilling with emotion

thrill

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: a sudden strong emotion often accompanied by a tingling sensation
gets a thrill of excitement from riding the roller coaster
felt a thrill of fear
b
: something that thrills
seeing my picture in the newspaper was a thrill
2
Etymology

Verb

Middle English thirlen, thrillen "to pierce," from Old English thyrlian (same meaning) from thyrel "a hole," from thurh "through" — related to nostril, thorough, through

Word Origin
Today when we speak of being thrilled, we are referring to a very pleasing experience. But it was not always so. The Old English word thyrlian, which gave us thrill, meant "to pierce" as with an arrow or spear. The Old English word came from an earlier word thyrel, meaning "hole." Thyrel has also given us the last half of the word nostril, which literally means "nose hole." During the Middle English period the verb thyrlian became thirlen and continued to mean "to pierce." It also was the basis of the new verb thrillen, meaning "to penetrate." Then a connection was made between the physical sensation of being pierced and the emotional feeling of being suddenly and sharply excited. A new sense was born, which became the chief meaning of our thrill.

Medical 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 thrillR. L. Cecil & R. F. Loeb

More from Merriam-Webster on thrill

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