startled
Americanadjective
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disturbed or agitated suddenly, as by surprise or alarm.
Seeing startled herons and egrets flee at the sound of 35 teenagers was a highlight for kids who rarely see birds in their natural habitat.
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expressing such surprise or alarm.
A startled cry escaped my throat as I was roughly pulled to my feet by the bodyguard.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of startled
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The Pineapple” promised to be intense, but even hours before the show had begun, it had me startled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
"The two US deportees looked startled and kept asking which country is this and where it is," said a source.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
Chalong then left the scene, and phoned a startled journalist he knew who was in the middle of a live broadcast on YouTube, to tell her what had happened.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
"I was startled awake and immediately went to my child's room," he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Danny asked, startled by the knowledge that Pili had talked to their favorite author in the world.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
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