Synonyms of startled

startled 1 of 2

adjective

1

as in surprised

Related Words

• surprised
• awed
• bewildered
• wondering
• astounded
• bemused
• astonished
• dumbfounded
• awestruck
• amazed
• flabbergasted
• puzzled
• open-mouthed
• marveling
• staggered
• overwhelmed
• stunned
• stupefied

Dissimilar Words

• unimpressed
• disinterested
• indifferent
• unconcerned
• uninterested
• impassive
• bored
• dispassionate
• incurious
• jaded
• unemotional
• emotionless

2

as in alarmed

Related Words

• alarmed
• terrified
• horrified
• spooked
• afraid
• panicked
• scared
• unnerved
• shocked
• panicky
• apprehensive
• nervous
• panic-stricken
• anxious
• terrorized
• jumpy
• yellow
• jittery
• timid
• pusillanimous
• cowardly
• spooky
• craven
• gutless
• unheroic
• timorous
• dastardly
• spineless
• tremulous
• chicken
• mousy
• fainthearted
• milk-livered
• chickenhearted
• fearful
• scary
• chicken-livered
• lily-livered
• poltroon
• skittish
• shy
• fearsome

Dissimilar Words

• daring
• bold
• adventurous
• brave
• audacious
• hardy
• venturesome
• courageous
• fearless
• undaunted
• intrepid
• dashing
• confident
• gutsy
• heroic
• gallant
• valiant
• dauntless
• stout
• assured
• stalwart
• valorous
• venturous
• determined
• adventuresome
• resolute
• firm
• stouthearted
• undeterred
• plucky
• unflinching
• spirited
• greathearted
• lionhearted
• spunky
• game
• unswerving
• self-assured
• doughty
• self-confident
• mettlesome

startled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of startle

1

as in stunned

to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected

the lightning startled the children and sent them scurrying for cover

Synonyms & Similar Words

• surprised
• stunned
• amazed
• shocked
• astonished
• astounded
• stupefied
• dumbfounded
• flabbergasted
• rocked
• thunderstruck
• bewildered
• perplexed
• confused
• disconcerted
• bowled over
• dazed
• befuddled
• nonplussed
• floored
• took by surprise
• dismayed
• took aback
• blindsided
• jarred
• confounded
• discomfited
• muddled
• shook up
• blew away
• knocked for a loop

2

as in jumped

to move suddenly and sharply (as in surprise)

the cat startled when the door slammed shut with a bang

Synonyms & Similar Words

• jumped
• winced
• cringed
• leaped
• flinched
• bolted
• jerked
• twitched
• started
• spooked
• jolted
• recoiled
• reacted
• responded
• sprang
• bounded
• shrank
• quailed
• blenched
• squinched

3

as in frightened

to strike with fear

loud noises always startle her

Synonyms & Similar Words

• frightened
• scared
• terrified
• spooked
• shocked
• horrified
• alarmed
• panicked
• shook
• affrighted
• frighted
• terrorized
• amazed
• appalled
• scarified
• worried
• distracted
• jolted
• astounded
• dismayed
• awed
• gave one the creeps
• made one's flesh creep
• disturbed
• disconcerted
• unnerved
• daunted
• shook up
• upset
• perturbed
• bowled over
• disquieted
• unsettled
• dispirited
• floored
• discomforted
• distressed
• emasculated
• discomposed
• demoralized
• chilled
• psyched (out)
• unmanned
• undid
• unstrung

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reassured
• assured
• comforted
• cheered
• soothed
• consoled
• inspired
• encouraged
• emboldened
• heartened
• solaced
• steeled

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of startled

Adjective

Her face, indisputably middle-aged, had a pensive, startled quality. — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

Even general manager Jonah Kaplan is a little startled by the café’s increasing popularity. — Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026

As a Flamengo defender attempted to pass the ball to a teammate, the blue-and-yellow bird dove straight toward him, sending the startled teen crashing to the ground in a panic. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026

TikTok user Aubrey Birrell posted a video of her startled reaction to her San Diego, California, Airbnb on July 2. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026

One of them who’d worked with Juliatra-Monoth gave him a startled look. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 26 June 2026

Ahn seems mildly startled to hear his own consistency read back to him. — Joshua Encinias, IndieWire, 17 June 2026

During the lead-up to this month’s primary elections, some voters in Placer County were startled to receive a text message with an image that looked like a law enforcement logo. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 14 June 2026

Robinson was startled to discover that this applicant intended to sell guns from his apartment in a building downtown, a few blocks from Camden Yards. — Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 1 June 2026

Verb

There’s nothing worse than waking up in the middle of a super restful sleep cycle, whether you are startled by the neighbor’s dog or an unwanted text message. — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026

Sometimes workers would be startled by the sight of a machine moving by itself and realize it was being controlled by someone in Turkey. — Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 2026

The 10-episode first season (critics received six for review) opens in the early hours of the morning, when Anna is startled awake by a phone call. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026

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

Indeed, Hartstone-Rose and his colleagues noted in their 2020 paper that some of the animals could have been startled by the humans, but the researchers weren’t sure. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 23 July 2026

Stone Mountain, Georgia — Jean Shifrin was hiking up a steep mountain trail on the Fourth of July when she was startled by something approaching her from behind. — John Blake, CNN Money, 19 July 2026

Exactly two years ago tomorrow, an unexpected visitor startled a homeowner in Hillsborough, New Jersey. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 July 2026