thriller
🇬🇧 /ˈθrɪlə/
🇺🇸 /ˈθrɪlɜr/
📖 Definitions
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noun
A novel, play, film, or other work of fiction characterized by a fast-paced plot, suspense, tension, and excitement, often involving crime, espionage, or danger.; A genre of fiction that emphasizes suspense, tension, and excitement as its primary elements, typically involving a protagonist facing a dangerous situation or antagonist.; A person or thing that thrills; something that causes a sudden feeling of excitement or pleasure.; A sporting contest or event that is extremely exciting and closely contested, keeping the audience in suspense until the end.; A type of plant arrangement or garden design element that provides height and dramatic vertical interest, typically placed in the center or back of a container planting.
🔗 Details
Word forms
countable
Plural: thrillers
Collocations
psychological thrilleraction thrillerlegal thrillerpolitical thrilleredge-of-your-seat thrillerbestselling thriller
Derivatives
thrillthrillingthrillinglythrilled
Synonyms
page-turnersuspense novelmysterycrime novelwhodunit
Commonly confused
mystery
EN: 'Mystery' focuses on solving a puzzle or crime, while 'thriller' emphasizes suspense, tension, and danger throughout the narrative.
horror
EN: 'Horror' aims to frighten and disturb, while 'thriller' aims to create excitement and suspense without necessarily invoking fear.
Spelling tips
EN: Remember the double 'l' in 'thriller' (from 'thrill' + '-er'). Do not write 'thriler'.
💬 Examples
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She stayed up all night reading the thriller because she couldn't put it down.
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The thriller genre has produced some of the most commercially successful films in cinema history.
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The roller coaster was a real thriller for the whole family.
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The championship final was an absolute thriller, decided by a last-minute goal.
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For the container garden, she chose ornamental grass as the thriller, with trailing vines as the spiller.