startled
Americanadjective
-
disturbed or agitated suddenly, as by surprise or alarm.
Seeing startled herons and egrets flee at the sound of 35 teenagers was a highlight for kids who rarely see birds in their natural habitat.
-
expressing such surprise or alarm.
A startled cry escaped my throat as I was roughly pulled to my feet by the bodyguard.
verb
Other Word Forms
- unstartled adjective
Etymology
Origin of startled
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Gentle or not, the move startled C.C., who pulled away in defense.
From Literature
I was so startled by this I stood up.
From Literature
The witch looked startled, but then she smiled.
From Literature
A presumption that there is an undercurrent of simmering rage in day-to-day life has taken hold in ways that might have startled past generations.
You are startled, later, to see the film footage of the tower itself, in its fiery death throes, as it plunged into the cathedral below.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
