startlement

as in astonishment
the state of being strongly impressed by something unexpected or unusual the look of startlement in her eyes when she found herself at the wedding seated next to her ex-boyfriend

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for startlement
Noun
  • Swilling beers from sponsor Corona, the hosts marveled at the turnaround, expressing the same astonishment that Larry David, Ben Stiller and other fans were showing on the ABC telecast.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 June 2026
  • Reflecting on the news that Lawrence solved the mystery, Summer House star Jesse Solomon expressed total astonishment.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 10 June 2026
Noun
  • Even his core interest in creatures, so often a well of amazement and positivity, couldn’t pull him up.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
  • Harbour bellowed as co-star Winona Ryder, by his side, made an expression of amazement that turned into a meme.
    Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 10 June 2026
Noun
  • The standoff triggered one of the largest oil shocks ever recorded, sending gasoline prices higher.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 13 June 2026
  • Most American soccer fans wouldn’t hesitate in saying that the United States winning the World Cup would clearly be a much bigger shock than the group of literal amateurs upsetting the greatest ice hockey team on watch at the 1980 winter games.
    Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
Noun
  • The entire Knicks roster, head coach Mike Brown and other surprise guests will make appearances in the special episode.
    Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 15 June 2026
  • Hearing about the practice took me by surprise — the farm did what with that milk?
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Startlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/startlement. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster