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 of startle

Verb

• amaze
• surprise
• stun
• shock
• astonish

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

Witness Hoon Chan Sim, 53, was sitting on a park lawn with his dog near West Drive when he was startled by the squeal of braking tires, and spun around to see the horrific collision. — Lincoln Anderson, New York Daily News, 25 July 2026

Wildlife experts say black bears are strong climbers and may scale trees, utility poles or other tall structures when startled by people, traffic or dogs. — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026

Noun

Crucially, the same neurons did not respond to other threatening stimuli, such as predator odors, looming visual objects, acoustic startle or mild anxiogenic environments. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 4 May 2026

Common reasons include the startle (Moro) reflex, discomfort, gas or reflux and a need for closeness. — Jenni Fink, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026

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