Intense feelings of excitement or pleasure, or the experiences that cause such feelings.
From Middle English 'thrillen' meaning 'to pierce' or 'to penetrate,' possibly from Old Norse. The meaning shifted from literal piercing to the sensation of excitement that seems to pierce through you.
Roller coasters create thrills by triggering your fight-or-flight response in a safe environment—your body thinks you're in danger, flooding you with adrenaline, creating that delicious scared-but-safe feeling!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.