thrill
pronunciation
How to pronounce thrill in British English:
UK [θrɪl]
How to pronounce thrill in American English:
US [θrɪl]
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- Noun:
- the swift release of a store of affective force
- an almost pleasurable sensation of fright
- something that thrills
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- Verb:
- cause to be thrilled by some perceptual input
- feel sudden intense sensation or emotion
- tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement
- fill with sublime emotion; tickle pink (exhilarate is obsolete in this usage)
Word Origin
- thrill
- thrill: [13] Etymologically, thrill denotes ‘make a hole in’. It is a Middle English alteration of Old English thyrlian ‘pierce’, a derivative of thyrl ‘hole’ (source of the second syllable of nostril). And this in turn was formed from thurh ‘through’. The notion of ‘making a hole’ led in the 16th century to the metaphorical ‘pierce with emotion’, but the narrowing down of this to ‘fill with pleasure’ seems to be a comparatively recent development, from the late 19th century. Its earlier wider connotations are preserved in the derivative thriller ‘exciting story’ [19].=> nostril, through
- thrill (v.)
- early 14c., "to pierce, penetrate," metathesis of Old English þyrlian "to perforate, pierce," from þyrel "hole" (in Middle English, also "nostril"), from þurh "through" (compare Middle High German dürchel "pierced, perforated;" see through) + -el. Meaning "give a shivering, exciting feeling" is first recorded 1590s, via metaphoric notion of "pierce with emotion." Related: Thrilled; thrilling.
- thrill (n.)
- "a shivering, exciting feeling," 1670s, from thrill (v.). Meaning "a thrilling experience" is attested from 1936.
Example
- 1. Still , that is a return that would thrill any investor in hollywood .
- 2. The thrill of winning had worn off ; he forgot about his lunchtime adventure .
- 3. If every goblin could go to court to seek compensation , the thrill would be gone .
- 4. There were seemingly endless opportunities for discovery , compelling experiences , and even the thrill of imagined danger .
- 5. They love the race , the amazing thrill to chase girls , get hooked and then again look for someone else .