Thrillfully

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner that causes intense excitement and pleasure, providing a sense of exhilaration and joyful stimulation
2. Exhibiting a feeling of great delight and lively enthusiasm, often resulting from an exciting or thrilling experience
3. Expressing or characterized by an invigorating and electrifying sensation that captivates the emotions and awakens enthusiasm

Etymology: Thrill began as a word for piercing. In Old English, "thyrlian" meant to bore a hole through something, and it was related to "thyrel," an opening or hole. The sense of a sharp, shivering sensation, as if something had gone right through the body, came later, and the emotional meaning of excitement grew out of that physical shiver. This is why "thrill" can describe both a shudder of fear and a surge of delight. The adverb is a transparent formation from "thrill," the suffix "-ful" meaning "full of," and the adverbial "-ly." Its literal sense is something like "in a manner full of thrill," describing an action carried out with that electric stimulation. Because it is built from common parts rather than being a long-established entry, its first recorded use is uncertain, and it is much less common than "thrillingly."

Synonyms: excitingly, exhilaratingly, delightfully, joyfully

Antonyms: dully, boringly, tediously