Thrilled

adjective

Frequency

High

CEFR Level

Neutral

Domain

Emotion

Definition

Extremely happy, excited, and pleased about something.

Context Alive

She refreshed the email page one more time, and there it was — the acceptance letter. She was absolutely thrilled and jumped out of her chair screaming. Her flatmate came running in, thinking something was wrong.

Meanings

1 meaning

1 Extremely Happy and Excited About Something (Adjective) Very Common ▼

This meaning is about feeling an intense rush of happiness and excitement when something wonderful happens or is about to happen. Imagine finding out that you got the job you’ve been dreaming about for months. Your heart races, you can’t stop smiling, and you want to tell everyone you know. You’re thrilled — not just happy, but bursting with joy. This is a step above pleased or glad. You might say “I’m thrilled to be here” at a special event, or a parent could say “we’re absolutely thrilled about the baby.” Or picture a student opening their exam results and discovering they got top marks when they expected to fail. The word carries real energy — it’s the kind of happiness that makes you want to celebrate out loud. ✏️ Thrilled is also commonly used in softer, ironic ways — “I’m not exactly thrilled” or “less than thrilled” means you’re actually quite unhappy about something.

Vivid Example

When the coach called his name for the starting lineup, the young player could barely believe it. He was thrilled beyond words and had to take a deep breath to calm down. His teammates patted him on the back as he walked onto the pitch grinning.

Examples from the Street

“I got the job — I’m absolutely thrilled!”

I was offered the position — I’m incredibly happy and excited!

“She wasn’t exactly thrilled when I told her we’d be sharing an office.”

She wasn’t particularly pleased or enthusiastic when I informed her we’d be working in the same room

“The kids were thrilled to bits when they found out we were going to Disneyland.”

The children were overjoyed and bursting with excitement when they discovered we were visiting the theme park

Common Patterns

absolutely/really thrilled → extremely happy and excited (very common intensifiers)

thrilled to bits/pieces → overwhelmingly happy and excited (informal British)

thrilled about (something) → extremely happy regarding a particular thing

thrilled with (something) → delighted by something you’ve received or experienced

thrilled to (do something / hear something / learn something) → extremely happy to carry out or discover something

thrilled (that)… → extremely happy because of a particular fact or outcome

not exactly thrilled → clearly unhappy or unimpressed (understatement)

less than thrilled → disappointed or annoyed (diplomatic understatement)

far from thrilled → quite unhappy or frustrated about something

can’t say I’m thrilled → politely admitting dissatisfaction

thrilled to announce/reveal → very excited to share news publicly (common in press releases and speeches)

thrilled to welcome → delighted to receive or introduce someone (formal hospitality)

thrilled to be here/part of (something) → very happy to be present or involved

Collocations

3 collocations

absolutely thrilled

extremely happy and excited

thrilled to bits

overjoyed and delighted

less than thrilled

disappointed or not pleased

Example Sentences

12 examples

She was absolutely thrilled when she found out she’d been accepted into medical school

She was over the moon with happiness when she discovered she’d secured a place to study medicine.

The grandparents were thrilled to bits when they heard about the baby

The grandparents were bursting with joy when they received the news about the new grandchild.

I’m thrilled about the promotion — I’ve been working towards it for years

I’m incredibly excited and happy about the career advancement — I’ve been putting in effort to achieve it for a long time.

We were thrilled with the hotel — the views were absolutely stunning

We were delighted by the accommodation — the scenery you could see from the windows was breathtakingly beautiful.

I’m thrilled to hear you passed your driving test on the first attempt

I’m extremely happy to learn you got your licence without needing to retake the exam.

He was not exactly thrilled about having to work over Christmas

He was clearly unhappy about being required to go into the office during the festive period.

My parents were less than thrilled when I told them I was dropping out of university

My mother and father were visibly disappointed and unimpressed when I informed them I was leaving my degree.

She’s far from thrilled about the new seating arrangement — she’s been moved next to the noisiest person in the office

She’s quite frustrated about where she’s been placed — her desk is now beside the loudest colleague in the workplace.

We are thrilled to announce that our company has been nominated for two industry awards

We are extremely excited to share the news that our organisation has been put forward for a pair of professional prizes.

I’m thrilled to be part of this project — it’s exactly the kind of work I’ve always wanted to do

I’m incredibly happy to be involved in this initiative — it’s precisely the type of work I’ve always dreamed of doing.

Learner Examples

★

Students are always thrilled when they realise they’ve just had an entire conversation in English without switching to their own language

Learners are always overjoyed when they become aware that they’ve just completed a full discussion in English without reverting to their mother tongue.

★

I was thrilled to bits when a former student messaged me to say that speaking English confidently had helped them get their dream job

I was absolutely delighted when an ex-pupil contacted me to tell me that being able to speak English with self-assurance had helped them secure the career they’d always wanted.