startle

1 of 2

verb

star·​tle ˈstär-tᵊl How to pronounce startle (audio)
startled; startling ˈstärt-liŋ How to pronounce startle (audio)
ˈstär-tᵊl-iŋ

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 noun

startle

2 of 2

noun

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

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
Paired with Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock — the famed Black Hippy quartet at the center of Top Dawg Entertainment — Schoolboy Q has long seemed like the hooded thug quietly nursing a brew in the corner of the room, only to startle his friends with an energetic, hair-raising party chant. Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2024 Every spring morning here, Camelback Ranch is startled with screams that seem to come from nowhere. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 For example, many include strobe lights in addition to sounds, which can be helpful for those who are hard of hearing, don’t want to wake sleeping babies, or startle pets. Jenna Clark, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Feb. 2024 But in 2005, planetary scientists were startled when NASA’s Cassini spacecraft spotted plumes of vapor and ice crystals shooting out from fractures near the moon’s south pole. Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2023 Blunt knocks on the window as Gosling startles, his under-eyes looking a bit wet. Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Bella’s infantile verbal communication, awkward motor skills, and libidinal compulsion startle Victorian hypocrites. Armond White, National Review, 23 Feb. 2024 Young zebras have a high mortality rate and, as a species, zebras can become easily startled, according to the zoo. Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2024 But the ease with which Miami initially cut through the league’s top scoring defense startled the eye. Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 1 Jan. 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 When he was told the shot was in, his eyes opened with a startle, then fell toward the floor. Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 10 July 2023 Swaddling also helps prevent babies' natural startle reflex from waking them up, and having their arms held down keeps them from scratching themselves with their razor-sharp little newborn nails. Jessica Hartshorn, Good Housekeeping, 22 Feb. 2023 An exaggerated startle response and hypervigilance. Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 16 Feb. 2023 Henning and Muche let out a startle, however, when a beaver struck the bottom of their canoe. Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 2 Oct. 2022 And while Levins, 32, of Frankfort, acknowledged the animals may play into some people’s phobias, a startle can be the start of a conversation with one of Crosstown’s handlers. Bill Jones, chicagotribune.com, 11 Oct. 2021 Those penguins themselves had something of the startle of art — the reveal of the ever-present real that’s hidden, paradoxically, by information. New York Times, 8 July 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'startle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of startle was in 1530

Dictionary Entries Near startle

Cite this Entry

“Startle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/startle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on startle

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