startle
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startle
- /ˈstɑːt(ə)l/ UK
- /ˈstɑɹt(ə)l/ US
Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)təl
Where it comes from
From Middle English startlen (“to rush, jump”), from Old English steartlian (“to kick with the foot, struggle, stumble”), equivalent to start + -le. Cognate with Old Norse stirtla (“to hobble, stagger”), Icelandic stirtla (“to straighten up, erect”). Compare also Middle English stertil (“hasty”). More at start.
verb startles · startling · startled
-
To move suddenly, or be excited, on feeling alarm; to start.
a horse that startles easily
Similar: start
- To excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension; to frighten suddenly and not seriously; to alarm; to surprise. The supposition, at least, that angels do sometimes assume bodies need not startle us.
-
To deter; to cause to deviate.
it would blast all their hopes, and startle all other princes from joining
Similar: deter
noun startles
- A sudden motion or shock caused by an unexpected alarm, surprise, or apprehension of danger. The figure of a man heaving in sight amidst these wide solitudes, always causes a startle and thrill of expectation and doubt, similar to the feeling produced by the announcement of " a strange sail ahead" on shipboard, during a long voyage.
Translations
Every language
verb to move or be excited on feeling alarm
| Español | sobresaltarse, alarmarse, espantarse, pajarear, asustarse, sobrecogerse |
|---|---|
| Français | sursauter |
| Deutsch | aufschrecken, scheuen |
| Italiano | scattare, sobbalzare |
| Русский | встрепенуться vstrepenutʹsja |
| עברית | הִזְדַּעֲזַע hizda'zá' |
verb to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension
| Español | sobresaltar, espantar, alarmar, asustar, sobrecoger, aspaventar |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 脅かす odokasu |
| 中文 | 嚇了一跳 /吓了一跳 xià le yí tiào |
| Português | assustar, dar um susto |
| Français | surprendre |
| Deutsch | erschrecken |
| Italiano | spaventare, sorprendere |
| Ελληνικά | ξαφνιάζω xafniázo, αιφνιδιάζω aifnidiázo |
| Русский | пуга́ть pugátʹ, испуга́ть ispugátʹ, напуга́ть napugátʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | làm giật mình, làm hoảng hốt |
| العربية | فَاجَأَ fājaʔa, بَاغَثَ bāḡaṯa |
| עברית | הבהיל hevhil |
noun a sudden motion or shock
| Español | sobresalto |
|---|---|
| Русский | испуг ispug |
Talk about this word "startle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/startle. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. startle. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/startle "startle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/startle.Cite this
@misc{startle_2026,
title = {startle},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/startle},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
