startled

[stahr-tld]

adjective

1. 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.

2. expressing such surprise or alarm.

   A startled cry escaped my throat as I was roughly pulled to my feet by the bodyguard.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of startle.

Other Word Forms

• unstartled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of startled¹

startle ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

“Svetlana! My goodness, you startled me! That is to say . . . good morning.”

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Penelope sat in her armchair; the girl jumped in her lap and curled up in a protective ball, like a startled hedgehog.

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“Ahwoooooo!” the children howled, for they were equally startled to find themselves in a near collision with what appeared to be the ghost of Lady Constance.

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Penelope startled awake to behold a most unexpected scene, in which all three Incorrigibles played prominent roles.

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The teenager seemed startled that Mosley was speaking to him, even though Mosley and Michael had been watching him the whole time and vice versa.

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Related Words

• scared 
• shocked www.thesaurus.com
• spooked www.thesaurus.com
• stunned 
• surprised www.thesaurus.com