thrill

THRIL/θɹɪl/

Verbthrills, thrilling, thrilled

Noun pluralthrills

9 meanings of thrill

Practice

1
verbtransitive or intransitive
To make someone feel sudden, strong excitement or joy, or to feel that yourself.
Like the happy jump you feel inside when you hear great news.
The roller coaster will thrill anyone who loves speed.
Fans were thrilled by the surprise encore.
Similarrouse
Oppositebore
Note
2
nouncountable
Something that gives you a sudden burst of excitement.
Like the happy rush you feel at the top of a tall slide.
Riding the giant wave was a real thrill.
She gets a thrill from solving hard puzzles.
Similarexcitement, pleasure, delight, rush, kick
3
nouncountable
A small shiver that runs through your body, often caused by strong feeling.
Like the shiver you feel when cold water touches your skin.
A thrill of fear ran down her spine.
He felt a thrill of excitement when the lights dimmed.
Similarshiver, frisson, tingle, tremor, quiver
4
verbtransitive or intransitive
To shake with a slight, quick movement, or to make something shake that way.
Like a guitar string that shakes after you pluck it.
The deep bass made the windows thrill.
Her voice thrilled with emotion as she spoke.
Similarquiver, tremble, vibrate, shake, throb
5
nouncountable
A faint shaking that a doctor can feel by hand over the heart when the heartbeat is not normal.
Like feeling a phone buzz under your hand.
The doctor felt a thrill over the patient's chest.
A thrill over the heart can warn of a serious problem.
Note
6
verbtransitive
To cut a hole and its screw threads at the same time using one special tool.
Like a drill that also carves the screw lines as it goes in.
The machine can thrill the part in a single pass.
Workers thrill each hole to save time.
Note
7
nouncountable
A hole used for breathing, such as a bird's nostril.
Like the small openings in your nose that you breathe through.
Air whistled through the bird's thrill.
The hawk's thrill flared as it dove toward the field.
Similarnostril, naris
Note

Less common meanings

8
verbobsolete
To make a hole through something with a sharp, pointed tool.
he perced through his chaufed chest / With thrilling point of deadly yron brand
1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie QueeneHere, thrilling means piercing or stabbing through.
Note
9
verbobsolete
To throw or fling something with force.
Like throwing a ball as far as you can.
He would thrill the stone across the river.
I'd thrill my jauelin at the Grecian moysture
1632, Thomas Heywood, The Iron AgeHere, thrill means throw.
Similarthrow, hurl, fling, cast, pitch
Note

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–5, 7–9

From Old English þȳrlian, meaning "to pierce," which came from þȳrel, meaning "hole."

Meaning 6

A blend of the verbs "thread" and "drill."