thrill
thrill Lexical Profile
thrill Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A sudden feeling of excitement and pleasure, often accompanied by a physical sensation of tingling or trembling.
"She felt a sudden thrill of excitement as the orchestra began to play the opening notes."
An experience, activity, or event that produces a sudden feeling of excitement and pleasure.
"Meeting her favorite childhood author in person was the greatest thrill of the conference."
A vibratory sensation felt on palpation over the skin, especially one caused by turbulent blood flow in the heart or a blood vessel.
"During the physical examination, the cardiologist detected a faint systolic thrill over the patient's chest."
• verb
To cause someone to experience a sudden, intense feeling of excitement and pleasure.
"The acrobats thrilled the audience with their daring aerial maneuvers."
To feel a sudden wave of emotion or quiver with a physical sensation (such as excitement, pleasure, or sound).
"The listeners thrilled to the rich, resonant sound of the cello."
• Rhymes for thrill
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'thrillen', a metathesized variant of Old English 'thyrlian' meaning 'to pierce or perforate', derived from 'thyrel' ('hole'). The sense evolved from the metaphorical idea of an intense emotion piercing the heart to a sudden wave of excitement.