startled
Americanadjective
-
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.
-
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.
Startled young women, hands in the air, staggered out of darkened rooms.
From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026
Startled from their reverie, flurries of native hens - which piyura kitina is named after - scatter over the mossy grass as we arrive.
From BBC • Sep. 14, 2024
Startled, instead of pulling away, “they're actually… panicking and rolling into it,” says Asmutis-Silvia.
From National Geographic • Jan. 25, 2024
“We were pretty startled. Startled and scared to death,” Schab, now 103, said at his home in Beaverton, Oregon, where he lives with his daughter.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 6, 2023
Startled, I turned and watched him go up the steps.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
