Etymology 1
From Old English þȳrlian (“to pierce”), derived from þȳrel (“hole”) (archaic English thirl). Doublet of thirl (verb).
Verb
thrill (third-person singular simple present thrills, present participle thrilling, simple past and past participle thrilled)
- (ergative) To suddenly excite someone, or to give someone great pleasure; to (figuratively) electrify; to experience such a sensation.
- 1854, Matthew Arnold, Preface to Poems
- vivid and picturesque turns of expression […] which thrill the reader with a sudden delight
1937, Frank Churchill, Leigh Harline (lyrics and music), “One Song”, in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt Disney:One love / That has possessed me; / One love / Thrilling me through
- (ergative) To (cause something to) tremble or quiver.
- (obsolete) To perforate by a pointed instrument; to bore; to transfix; to drill.
- (obsolete) To hurl; to throw; to cast.
1632, Thomas Heywood, The Iron Age:I'd thrill my jauelin at the Grecian moysture
Translations
suddenly excite someone, or to give someone great pleasure; to electrify
- Bulgarian: вълнувам (bg) (vǎlnuvam)
- Dutch: opwinden (nl)
- Finnish: sykähdyttää, riemastuttaa
- French: exciter (fr), émoustiller (fr)
- German: erregen (de), begeistern (de)
- Italian: elettrizzare (it)
- Maori: wanawana, mōhukihuki, kōihi, kōihiihi
- Polish: wzruszać (pl), zachwycać (pl), poruszać (pl)
- Portuguese: emocionar (pt), excitar (pt)
- Russian: взволнова́ть (ru) (vzvolnovátʹ)
- Serbo-Croatian: uzbuditi (sh)
- Spanish: emocionar (es), excitar (es), entusiasmar (es)
- Turkish: heyecanlandırmak (tr)
- Ukrainian: схвилюва́ти (sxvyljuváty), збуди́ти (zbudýty)
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cause something to tremble or quiver
Translations to be checked
Noun
thrill (plural thrills)
- A trembling or quivering, especially one caused by emotion; a frisson.
1935, George Goodchild, chapter 1, in Death on the Centre Court:She mixed furniture with the same fatal profligacy as she mixed drinks, and this outrageous contact between things which were intended by Nature to be kept poles apart gave her an inexpressible thrill.
- A cause of sudden excitement; a kick.
- (medicine) A slight quivering of the heart that accompanies a cardiac murmur.
- A breathing place or hole; a nostril, as of a bird.
Derived terms
Terms derived from thrill (noun)
Translations
trembling or quivering, especially one caused by emotion
cause of sudden excitement; a kick
slight quivering of the heart that accompanies a cardiac murmur
Etymology 2
Blend of thread (verb) + drill (verb).
Verb
thrill (third-person singular simple present thrills, present participle thrilling, simple past and past participle thrilled)
- (machining) To drill and thread in one operation, using a tool bit that cuts the hole and the threads in one series of computer-controlled movements.