startle

CEFRB2

/ˈstɑːt(ə)l/

verb · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To make someone suddenly surprised or afraid.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    To deter; to cause to deviate.

Examples

  • I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.

  • I didn't mean to startle you.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. To excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension; to frighten suddenly and not seriously; to alarm; to surprise.

  2. To move suddenly, or be excited, on feeling alarm; to start.

noun

Extra meaning

  1. A sudden motion or shock caused by an unexpected alarm, surprise, or apprehension of danger.

More examples

In context

  • We don't want to startle anyone.

  • a horse that startles easily

  • Why shrinks the soul / Back on herself, and startles at destruction?

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The sudden crash of thunder will blank the relaxed cat and make it jump.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

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.