thrilling

1 of 2

adjective

thrill·​ing ˈthri-liŋ 

: causing a feeling of great excitement or happiness

a thrilling discovery

a thrilling performance

… flashes into the end zone to give the Rams the winning touchdown in the most thrilling Super Bowl finish ever.

—Rick Reilly

thrillingly

ˈthri-liŋ-lē 

adverb

Who, in fact, are the good guys and who are the bad guys in the dramas that unfold here so thrillingly?

—Marie Winn

… this is a powerful and thrillingly strange movie …

—Terrence Rafferty

thrilling

2 of 2

present participle of thrill entry 1

Synonyms of thrilling

Adjective

• exciting
• breathtaking
• interesting
• intriguing

Examples of thrilling in a Sentence

Adjective

a thrilling adventure movie

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Iceland’s lava fields make for some thrilling Gothic settings. — HubSpot, 1 Oct. 2026

On the other side of things, Raider Nation is riding high after yet another thrilling win. — Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

During the Malaysian Grand Prix's previous run from 1999-2017, the track became notorious for sudden downpours which made for thrilling races and some unexpected results. — ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026

Karol donned a cowboy hat for the song, a thrilling throwback to '90s Tejano. — Joey Guerra, Houston Chronicle, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1768, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for thrilling

• billing
• chilling
• drilling
• filling
• grilling
• killing
• milling
• pilling
• rilling
• schilling
• shilling
• skilling