thriller
/ˈθrɪlə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈθrɪlər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈthri-lər/ (ame, mw)
thriller — noun
1. a book, film, or play that tells an exciting story full of suspense, designed to
a book, film, or play that tells an exciting story full of suspense, designed to keep the audience tense and eager to discover what happens next, typically involving crimes, secrets, or dangerous situations that create a fast-moving plot
Anjali stayed up until 3 a.m. reading a thriller about a missing diplomat.
noun + about [topic] — describing subject matter
Gabriel prefers psychological thrillers over comedies because he loves the suspense.
genre + thriller — classifying the subgenre
The film is a political thriller set in 1990s Taipei.
Hao said the thriller had so many unexpected twists that he could not guess the ending.
- mystery
mystery focuses on solving a puzzle or crime; thriller emphasizes tension throughout
- suspense
suspense can describe the feeling or any work that creates it; thriller is a specific genre label
- crime drama
crime drama centers on criminals and investigators; thriller may or may not involve crime
- whodunit
whodunit is a subtype of mystery focused on discovering the perpetrator; thriller is broader in scope
用法筆記
Unlike mystery or horror, the focus in a thriller is on sustained excitement and suspense rather than on solving a puzzle or causing fear. Commonly appears in combinations such as 'psychological thriller' or 'political thriller' to specify the subgenre.