thriller

The word “thriller” means a book, film, or play built around suspense, danger, and excitement. In plain terms, a story genre designed to keep you tense and on edge.

“Thriller” is pronounced THRIH-luh (/ˈθɹɪ.ləɹ/ in IPA).

Here is “thriller” used in a sentence: “The movie is a psychological thriller about a detective hunting a serial killer.”

“Thriller” is a noun.

“Thriller” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

A thriller is built around suspense, danger, and excitement, keeping the audience tense about what will happen next. Horror aims mainly to frighten or disturb, often using fear, gore, or supernatural threats, whereas a thriller relies on tension and high stakes.

A mystery centres on solving a puzzle, such as identifying who committed a crime, so the reader pieces clues together. A thriller focuses on suspense and impending danger, often with the audience already aware of the threat and racing to see how it is resolved.

Common subgenres include the psychological thriller, crime thriller, spy thriller, legal thriller, and political thriller. Each keeps the core ingredients of suspense, danger, and excitement while focusing on a particular setting or subject.

The two overlap heavily, and suspense is a key ingredient of any thriller. In general use, a thriller tends to involve higher stakes, faster pace, and more action, while "suspense" emphasises the anxious anticipation of what will happen.