Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.
startle en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈstɑɹt(ə)l/ (US)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈstɑːt(ə)l/ (UK)
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.
Meanings
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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.
1845, George Hooker Colton, James Davenport Whelpley, chapter 1, in The American review:
Forms
Deriveds
startler · startlish · startle reflex
Relateds
skittish
Translations (7)
ckb ڕاچەنین (a sudden motion or shock) · bg уплаха (a sudden motion or shock) · es sobresalto (a sudden motion or shock) · cs leknutí (a sudden motion or shock) · bg шок (a sudden motion or shock) · fi hätkähdys (a sudden motion or shock) · ru испуг (a sudden motion or shock)
startle en · VERB
Pronunciation
- /ˈstɑɹt(ə)l/ (US)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈstɑːt(ə)l/ (UK)
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.
Meanings
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(intransitive) To move suddenly, or be excited, on feeling alarm; to start.
a horse that startles easily
Why shrinks the soul / Back on herself, and startles at destruction?
1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act V, scene i, page 56:He felt, too, that he was acting unjustly by Ethel: he had allowed a fortnight to elapse—he startled when he numbered up the days; it is strange how we allow them to glide imperceptibly away.
1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “A Proposal of Marriage”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 127:
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(transitive) To excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension; to frighten suddenly and not seriously; to alarm; to surprise.
The high voice in the night air startled me. Without thinking, I started to run. Then stopped. I spun around, my heart heaving against my chest. And saw a boy. About my age.
1997, R. L. Stine, Say Cheese and Die, Again!:Nothing could startle her, make her scold or make her cry. She did not complain, she did not rebel.
1896, Joseph Conrad, chapter I, in An Outcast of the Islands, London: T. Fisher Unwin […], →OCLC, part I, page 10:The supposition, at least, that angels do sometimes assume bodies need not startle us.
1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC:
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(obsolete, transitive) To deter; to cause to deviate.
As they turned into Hertford Street they startled a robin from the poet's head on a barren fountain, and he fled away with a cameo note.
1922, Michael Arlen, “Ep./4/2”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:it would blast all their hopes, and startle all other princes from joining
1660, Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, The Life of Edward Earl of Clarendon, Lord High Chancellor of England:
Forms
Deriveds
startlement · startled · startle up · upstartle · startling
Synonyms
surprise (to excite suddenly) · scare (to excite suddenly) · deter (deter) · frighten (to excite suddenly) · alarm (to excite suddenly) · start (to move suddenly)
Translations (84)
sv spritta (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · bg изплаша (to deter; to cause to deviate) · el ξαφνιάζω (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · es sobrecogerse (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · mi whakapereru (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · nl laten schrikken (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · it evitare (to deter; to cause to deviate) · it sobbalzare (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · es asustarse (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · ru пуга́ть (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · cmn 嚇了一跳 /吓了一跳 (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · eo konsterni (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · vi làm giật mình (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · pt assustar (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · ja 脅かす (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · es sobresaltarse (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · fi säikähtää (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · es impedir (to deter; to cause to deviate) · la terreō (to deter; to cause to deviate) · fi harhauttaa (to deter; to cause to deviate) · es sobrecoger (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · lad aturvar (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · cs polekat se (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · es asustar (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · uk зляка́ти (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · bg сепвам (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · es aspaventar (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · ar بَاغَثَ (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · es espantarse (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · ca espantar (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · fi kavahtaa (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · eo alarmi (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · mi whakapererū (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · fr surprendre (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · ar فَاجَأَ (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · mi tumeke (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · it spaventare (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · bg уплаша (to deter; to cause to deviate) · nl verschrikken (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · ru напуга́ть (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · bg уплашвам (to deter; to cause to deviate) · ckb داچڵەکاندن (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · vi làm hoảng hốt (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · ru испуга́ть (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · it sorprendere (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · cs polekat (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · es evitar (to deter; to cause to deviate) · la pavefaciō (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · bg стряскам се (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · fi säikäyttää (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · es alarmar (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · fr sursauter (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · ca espantar-se (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · fi hätkähtää (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · de scheuen (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · de aufschrecken (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · om wareeruu (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · es alarmarse (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · mi ohomauri (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · bg стря́скам (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · bg сепна (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · cs odstrašit (to deter; to cause to deviate) · bg изплашвам (to deter; to cause to deviate) · cs zastrašit (to deter; to cause to deviate) · it scattare (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · bg се́пна се (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · th ความตกใจ (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · it schivare (to deter; to cause to deviate) · he הִזְדַּעֲזַע (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · el αιφνιδιάζω (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · ru встрепенуться (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · cs vylekat (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · es sobresaltar (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · fi hätkäyttää (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · bg плаша (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · he הבהיל (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · bg се́пвам се (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · cs leknout se (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · es espantar (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · de erschrecken (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · es pajarear (to move or be excited on feeling alarm) · pt dar um susto (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · la consternō (to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension) · nl schrikken (to move or be excited on feeling alarm)