startle
verb /ˈstɑːtl/
/ˈstɑːrtl/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they startle | /ˈstɑːtl/ /ˈstɑːrtl/ |
| he / she / it startles | /ˈstɑːtlz/ /ˈstɑːrtlz/ |
| past simple startled | /ˈstɑːtld/ /ˈstɑːrtld/ |
| past participle startled | /ˈstɑːtld/ /ˈstɑːrtld/ |
| -ing form startling | /ˈstɑːtlɪŋ/ /ˈstɑːrtlɪŋ/ |
- to surprise somebody suddenly in a way that slightly shocks or frightens them
- startle somebody/something I didn't mean to startle you.
- The explosion startled the horse.
- I was startled by her question.
- She was startled into a little cry of surprise.
- it startles somebody to do something It startled me to find her sitting in my office.
Synonyms surprisesurpriseTopics Feelingsc2- startle
- amaze
- stun
- astonish
- take somebody aback
- astound
- surprise to give somebody the feeling that you get when something happens that you do not expect or do not understand, or something that you do expect does not happen; to make somebody feel surprised:
- The outcome didn’t surprise me at all.
- startle to surprise somebody suddenly in a way that slightly shocks or frightens them:
- Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.
- The explosion startled the horse.
- amaze to surprise somebody very much:
- Just the huge size of the place amazed her.
- stun (rather informal) (often in newspapers) to surprise or shock somebody so much that they cannot think clearly or speak
- astonish to surprise somebody very much:
- The news astonished everyone.
- take somebody aback [usually passive] (especially of something negative) to surprise or shock somebody:
- We were rather taken aback by her hostile reaction.
- astound to surprise or shock somebody very much:
- His arrogance astounded her.
- It surprises somebody/startles somebody/amazes somebody/stuns somebody/astonishes somebody/takes somebody aback/astounds somebody
- to surprise/startle/amaze/stun/astonish/astound somebody that…
- to surprise/amaze somebody what/how…
- to surprise/startle/amaze/stun/astonish/astound somebody to know/find/learn/see/hear…
- to be surprised/startled/stunned into (doing) something
Oxford Collocations DictionaryStartle is used with these nouns as the subject:- movement
Word OriginOld English steartlian ‘kick, struggle’, from the base of start. The early sense gave rise to ‘move quickly, caper’ (typically said of cattle), which led to the sense ‘cause to react with fear’ (late 16th cent.).