She jumped like a startled rabbit. I was startled to see a woman's face staring back at me. The monkeys were so startled that they ran off in all directions.

The meaning of STARTLE is to move or jump suddenly (as in surprise or alarm). How to use startle in a sentence.

STARTLED definition: disturbed or agitated suddenly, as by surprise or alarm. See examples of startled used in a sentence.

To alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly. See Synonyms at frighten. To become alarmed, frightened, or surprised. n. 1. A sudden, brief episode of fear. 2. A sudden, involuntary movement in response to …

If something sudden and unexpected startles you, it surprises you and frightens you slightly. The sound of his voice startled her.

Dec 5, 2025 · adjective excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement “students startled by the teacher's quiet return” “the sudden fluttering of the startled pigeons” “her …

STARTLE meaning: 1 : to surprise or frighten (someone) suddenly and usually not seriously often used as (be) startled; 2 : to move or jump suddenly because something surprises you or frightens you

When they used their custom-made, high-power microscopes to visualize the cells, they were startled to see long, finger-like projections burrowing through the surrounding tissue.

Definition of startle verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

star•tle /ˈstɑrtəl/ v. [~ + object], -tled, -tling. to disturb suddenly as by surprise: You startled me when you slammed the door so loudly.