thriller

[ thril-er ]

noun

1. a person or thing that thrills.
2. an exciting, suspenseful play or story, especially a mystery story.

thriller

/ ˈθrɪlə /

noun

1. a book, film, play, etc, depicting crime, mystery, or espionage in an atmosphere of excitement and suspense
2. a person or thing that thrills

thriller

1. A suspenseful, sensational story or film: “Ken Follett writes best-selling spy thrillers.”

Notes

In Great Britain , the word thriller is sometimes used for all mystery novels : “Martha Grimes, an American, writes British-style thrillers.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of thriller¹

1885–90; 1920–25 thriller fordef 2; thrill + -er ¹

Example Sentences

And once his kids are older, he may start taking different parts — maybe a psychological thriller or an indie film.

From Los Angeles Times

“A Different Man” is neither a straightforward drama nor a straight thriller.

From Los Angeles Times

The plot could be straight out of an outlandish Bollywood thriller - except it is carefully choreographed.

From BBC

Two thrillers with literary antecedents — “Cross” on Prime Video and “The Day of the Jackal” on Peacock — premiere Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times

The Premier League season may only be 11 games old, but already it is shaping up to be a thriller.

From BBC

Related Words

• anxiety
• apprehension
• confusion
• doubt
• insecurity
• tension
• uncertainty