Meaning & use
startled
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Briefly shocked or frightened by something sudden and unexpected.
Grammar: Used after be or before a noun: she was startled, a startled look; often followed by by or at.
Patterns
- startled by something
- startled at something
- startled to find something
The startled deer bounded into the woods.
I was startled by a loud bang from the kitchen.
She gave him a startled look when he walked in.
Word forms
| comparative | more startled |
|---|---|
| superlative | most startled |
Common combinations
- startled look
- He wore a startled look when the lights came on.
- startled cry
- A startled cry came from the next room.
- startled by
- The horse was startled by the fireworks.
- startled awake
- The thunder woke her, startled awake.
- visibly startled
- The speaker was visibly startled by the question.
Synonyms and how they differ
- surprised
- Surprised is milder and can be pleasant, while startled suggests a sudden jolt, often unpleasant.
- shocked
- Shocked implies stronger and longer upset, while startled is a brief reaction.
- alarmed
- Alarmed adds worry about danger, while startled may pass quickly.
- jumpy
- Jumpy describes a nervous person who is easily startled, not a single reaction.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: startled or startling?
startled vs startling
Startled describes the person who feels the shock, while startling describes the thing that causes it: a startled child heard a startling noise.
Practice
The cat was ____ by the sudden slam of the door and leaped off the sofa.
Choose one answer.
Startled describes how the cat feels. Startling describes the cause, and the other forms do not fit after 'was' with 'by'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “startled”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.