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thrill

[θɾ̪̊ɪɫ]verb, noun

thrill is spelled T-H-R-I-L-L: 6 letters and one syllable. It appears 5.2 times per million words in written English, the 10,843rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, thrill means “To suddenly excite someone, or to give someone great pleasure; to (figuratively) electrify; to experience such a sensation” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in thrill?

Letters6: T-H-R-I-L-L
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing5.2 times per million words; the 10,843rd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is thrill?

Thrill appears 5.2 times per million words in written English, the 10,843rd most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce thrill?

  • /θɹɪl/
  • US [θɾ̪̊ɪɫ]
  • US [θɹ̥ɪɫ]

Thrill has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-thrill.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of thrill

  • thrills present, singular, he/she/it, plural
  • thrilling participle, present
  • thrilled participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does thrill mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

verb

  1. 1

    To suddenly excite someone, or to give someone great pleasure; to (figuratively) electrify; to experience such a sensation.

  2. 2

    To (cause something to) tremble or quiver.

  3. 3

    obsoleteTo perforate by a pointed instrument; to bore; to transfix; to drill.

  4. 4

    obsoleteTo hurl; to throw; to cast.

  5. 5

    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.

noun

  1. 1

    A trembling or quivering, especially one caused by emotion; a frisson.

  2. 2

    A cause of sudden excitement; a kick.

  3. 3

    A slight quivering of the heart that accompanies a cardiac murmur.

  4. 4

    A breathing place or hole; a nostril, as of a bird.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Thrill in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchexciter, émoustiller (suddenly excite someone, or to give someone…), frisson (trembling or quivering, especially one caused…)
Germanerregen, begeistern (suddenly excite someone, or to give someone…), Gänsehautmoment (trembling or quivering, especially one caused…), in Spannung versetzen (feel a sudden excitement), erschauern lassen (cause something to tremble or quiver), erschauern (tremble or quiver)
Portugueseemocionar, excitar (suddenly excite someone, or to give someone…), arrepio (trembling or quivering, especially one caused…)
Spanishemocionar, excitar, entusiasmar (suddenly excite someone, or to give someone…), escalofrío (trembling or quivering, especially one caused…), fragor, furor (cause of sudden excitement; a kick)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does thrill come from?

From Old English þȳrlian (“to pierce”), derived from þȳrel (“hole”) (archaic English thirl). Doublet of thirl (verb).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

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