startle

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈstɑɹt(ə)l/ UK /ˈstɑːt(ə)l/ See IPA manual

Freq #17529

Meanings

1

verb
To suddenly surprise or frighten someone, making them jump.

The loud bang startled everyone in the room.
2

verb
To move or jump suddenly because of surprise or fear.

The cat startled when I walked into the room.
3

noun
A sudden jump or shock caused by something unexpected.

She woke with a startle when the phone rang.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to suddenly surprise or... alarm frighten scare surprise

2 verb · to move or jump suddenly... jump start

3 noun · a sudden jump or shock... jump

Word family

Forms startledstartlesstartlish

Derived forms startledstartlementstartlingupstartle

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

startle response
an automatic bodily reaction to a sudden unexpected stimulus

Noun + noun

Etymology

From Middle English startlen, stertlen, stertyllen (“to rush, stumble along”), 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.

startlen Middle English steartlian Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# startle

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈstɑɹt(ə)l/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈstɑːt(ə)l/
**Frequency rank:** 17529

## Meanings
1. To suddenly surprise or frighten someone, making them jump.
2. To move or jump suddenly because of surprise or fear.
3. A sudden jump or shock caused by something unexpected.

## Examples
- The loud bang startled everyone in the room.
- The cat startled when I walked into the room.
- She woke with a startle when the phone rang.

## Derived Forms
- startled
- startlement
- startling
- upstartle

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: startlen
- Root: steartlian

## Etymology
From Middle English startlen, stertlen, stertyllen (“to rush, stumble along”), 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.

## AI Etymology
Startle is from Middle English startlen, stertlen, stertyllen (“to rush, stumble along”), 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”). In present-day use, it can mean to suddenly surprise or frighten someone, making them jump, or to move or jump suddenly because of surprise or fear.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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