startle

American  

[stahr-tl] / ˈstɑr tl /

verb (used with object)

startled, startling

1. to disturb or agitate suddenly as by surprise or alarm.

   Synonyms:

   astonish, frighten, scare

2. to cause to start involuntarily, by or as by a sudden shock.

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verb (used without object)

startled, startling

1. to start involuntarily, as from a shock of surprise or alarm.

noun

1. a sudden shock of surprise, alarm, or the like.

2. something that startles.

startle British  

/ ˈstɑːtəl /

verb

1. to be or cause to be surprised or frightened, esp so as to start involuntarily

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Related Words

See shock ¹.

Other Word Forms

• outstartle verb (used with object)
• startlement noun
• startler noun

Etymology

Origin of startle

First recorded before 1100; Middle English stertlen “to rush, caper,” equivalent to stert(en) “to begin, start” ( start + -(e)len -le, or continuing Old English steartlian “to kick, struggle”

Example Sentences

A spokesperson for the mayor said it was "startling" that SUVs were "77% more likely to kill a child if involved in a collision".

From BBC

While "ravens are already well-known for their intelligence," lead author Matthias-Claudio Loretto told AFP, seeing these cognitive abilities "play out at a much larger scale in the wild" produced startling results.

From Barron's

"A walking scorer startled me, got close to me from behind. I pulled my caddie and said, 'You can't let anybody get behind me'," Woodland explained.

From BBC

"For many children - and adults for that matter - this will be effective in helping them to avoid startling or unsettling imagery and information without warning," she said.

From BBC

The speed differentials at the start were startling.

From BBC

Related Words

• agitate
• alarm
• amaze
• astonish
• astound
• awe
• scare
• shake up
• shock
• stagger
• stun
• terrify