startle
Americanverb (used with object)
-
startles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
startled,
past participle, past
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startling
present participle
verb (used without object)
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startles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
startled,
past participle, past
-
startling
present participle
noun
-
a sudden shock of surprise, alarm, or the like.
-
something that startles.
verb
Synonym Usage
See shock 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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startlesimple
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startlessimple
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have startledperfect
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has startledperfect
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am startlingprogressive
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are startlingprogressive
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is startlingprogressive
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have been startlingperfect progressive
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has been startlingperfect progressive
Past
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startledsimple
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had startledperfect
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was startlingprogressive
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were startlingprogressive
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had been startlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of startle
First recorded before 1100; Middle English stertlen “to rush, caper,” equivalent to stert(en) “to begin, start” ( see start + -(e)len -le, or continuing Old English steartlian “to kick, struggle”
Explanation
To startle is to jump, like when you're surprised. If you’re sneaking through a dark room and step on a sleeping dog’s tail — you might startle the dog. If she barks, that dog startles you right back! A startle is a quick, sharp movement, like a little jump that happens when you’re surprised or suddenly scared. If you sneak up on your mom and say "Boo!" you’ll startle her and she might jump up in her seat (before she yells at you to quit it). Alarm clocks and barking dogs often startle people. The original meaning of startle, around 1300, was "to run back and forth," from the Old English word styrtan, "to leap up."
Vocabulary lists containing startle
"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 5
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The Circuit
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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.
See Examples For:
He understands how to keep viewers vigilant, how to shock them and startle them as soon as they think they know where he’s headed.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
“Sudden explosive noise, concussive blasts, and bright flashes have the potential to startle young birds, creating unnecessary risk during a critical period of development.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
They then measured how the mice responded using a modified auditory startle test.
From Science Daily ● May 15, 2026
Percussion instruments—including a whistle and slap-stick—interrupt and startle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
A strong hand closes on my arm and I startle.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
More than 60 years on, the scene still startles.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
I am not sure what startles more—that the feat was achieved at all or that it was Mr. Koolhaas’s firm that pulled it off.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026
“They’re a bit of a nuisance, especially if one takes off from a bush next to people and startles them,” Knight said.
From Seattle Times ● May 3, 2024
Her very English outrage startles him from his role as an Israeli Defense Forces soldier “defending my people” and into that of a teenager defending himself against accusations of being from Manchester.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 4, 2023
The sudden edge in his voice startles me.
From "Legend" by Marie Lu
A field of unharvested sunflowers had attracted mixed flocks of birds, especially goldfinches and bramblings, before they were startled into the air by a sparrowhawk.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Most black bear “attacks” are actually defensive actions, and generally take place if an animal is protecting cubs, startled or scared, according to the department.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026
Black said he was startled, although not totally surprised.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 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
He looked startled, like she had interrupted his thoughts.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
In one startling episode, a 9-year-old Jeannette was wakened one night in the family’s home in Phoenix.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
The private life of disgraced Silicon Valley startup founder Elizabeth Holmes will soon be aired to the public in a startling new documentary filmed in the 34 days before she went to prison.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
Most startling of all: He has presented this property gambit, where ownership remains solely with him and his wife, as an act of goodwill.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
Given that a robot recently beat Usain Bolt's 100m sprint record, it's not the most startling achievement.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Roz stepped into the moonlight and said, “I apologize for startling you.”
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
