to startle
Third Person
startles
Present Participle
startling
Past Tense
startled
Past Participle
startled
1
to cause a sudden shock or surprise, resulting in a quick, involuntary reaction
transitive
- The loud clap of thunder startled the sleeping dog, causing it to jump up.
- The unexpected appearance of the spider startled the arachnophobic person, who screamed and ran away.
- The sudden ringing of the phone startled her, making her spill her coffee.
- The unexpected pop of the balloon startled the children at the birthday party, causing them to giggle nervously.
- The sudden burst of fireworks startled the birds in the trees, making them fly away.