startle

1 of 2

verb

star·​tle ˈstär-tᵊl 

startled; startling ˈstär-tᵊl-iŋ 

ˈstärt-liŋ

intransitive verb

: to move or jump suddenly (as in surprise or alarm)

the baby startles easily

transitive verb

: to frighten or surprise suddenly and usually not seriously

startlement

ˈstär-tᵊl-mənt 

noun

startle

2 of 2

noun

: a sudden mild shock (as of surprise or alarm)

Synonyms

Verb

• amaze
• astonish
• astound
• bowl over
• dumbfound
• dumfound
• flabbergast
• floor
• rock
• shock
• stun
• stupefy
• surprise
• surprize
• thunderstrike

Examples of startle in a Sentence

Verb

I'm sorry that I startled you.

the lightning startled the children and sent them scurrying for cover

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

She was startled out of her reverie—a strange erotic daydream, flesh without body, warmth without a face. —Lauren Groff, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2024

Unfortunately, that proves to be a problem when freaking Rob Cameron (Chris Fulton) startles Bri in her kitchen! —Lincee Ray, EW.com, 7 Dec. 2024

Noun

Vasas and her colleagues also captured the brief startle display of a black swallowtail caterpillar and saw for the first time that its hornlike defense appendages are UV-reflective. —Lauren Leffer, Scientific American, 23 Jan. 2024

For very small babies, swaddling the arms is effective at reducing their startle reflex—which can be disruptive to sleep. —Samson McDougall, Parents, 8 Sep. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English stertlen, frequentative of sterten to start

First Known Use

Verb

1530, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1603, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

startle

verb

star·​tle

ˈstärt-ᵊl

startled; startling

ˈstärt-liŋ,

-ᵊl-iŋ

1

: to move or jump suddenly (as in surprise or fright)

2

: to frighten suddenly and usually not seriously

the kitten startles easily

startle noun