Thrilled to bits means absolutely delighted, extremely happy. It's a warm, informal British phrase full of excitement. People say it about presents, good news and seeing loved ones.
When would you say thrilled to bits?
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be thrilled to bits (with/about + noun; to + verb; that + clause)
- My mum was thrilled to bits with the flowers I sent her from London.
- We're thrilled to bits that you can come to our wedding.
- Leo was thrilled to bits to get a place at his dream university.
What changed
First versionMy grandma was happy to death when I called her from Seoul.
RevisionMy grandma was thrilled to bits when I called her from Seoul.
Happy to death sounds like a literal translation. In English, to death usually intensifies something unpleasant: bored to death, scared to death. For great joy, British speakers say thrilled to bits.
To bits intensifies other words too, but not always joyfully. I love you to bits means “I love you so much”, while fall to bits means to fall apart: My old sofa is falling to bits. Over the moon is close in meaning; it's also British and also about great joy.
Your turn
Grandma ___ when we gave her a photo album with pictures of all her grandchildren.
Show the answer
was thrilled to bits — A photo album with pictures of all her grandchildren is a big joy, and the idiom for it is thrilled to bits. Happy to death isn't how English speakers say it.
Write about some news or a present that made you very happy. Say who it came from and when.
I was thrilled to bits when my best friend sent me concert tickets for my birthday last May.
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