Agency Dictionary

Thriller

nounPronunciation: /ˈθrɪl.ər/

In Portuguese: Thriller

What does “Thriller” mean?

A fiction genre characterized by intense suspense, psychological tension, excitement, and anticipation.

Etymology

From thrill plus the agent suffix -er. The verb thrill descends from Old English þȳrlian, 'to pierce,' derived from þȳrel, 'hole.' From the literal piercing came the figurative sense of a sudden, sharp wave of emotion or excitement, and in the late nineteenth century the noun thriller came to name works of fiction that provoke it.

Usage note

Thriller as a genre label describes a work built on suspense and tension. It differs from horror, which relies on dread and the uncanny, and from mystery, which centres on solving a puzzle. The word appears in compounds such as psychological thriller and political thriller.

Often confused with

horror: Horror focuses on dread, the uncanny, and supernatural threat; a thriller builds tension through danger and uncertainty, without necessarily including supernatural elements.

Word family

thrill
thrilling

Rhymes with

filler
killer
miller
pillar

Usage examples

I am very fond of thrillers and mystery, and my favorite author is the renowned Stephen King.

Concept

Magical RealismMagical realism is a literary style and narrative genre in which fantastical, dreamlike, or supernatural occurrences are presented in a straightforward, matter-of-fact…

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

Creative.6 - Suelen VianaJuly 10, 2023Read the edition

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