startled

[ stahr-tld ]
See synonyms for startled on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. disturbed or agitated suddenly, as by surprise or alarm: Seeing startled herons and egrets flee at the sound of 35 teenagers was a highlight for kids who rarely see birds in their natural habitat.

  2. expressing such surprise or alarm: A startled cry escaped my throat as I was roughly pulled to my feet by the bodyguard.

verb
  1. the simple past tense and past participle of startle.

Origin of startled

1

Other words from startled

  • un·star·tled, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use startled in a sentence

  • She did not hear him, and when he called again, she turned her face—unstartled—and moving her posture not at all.

  • Caroline thought she knew who had drawn near; she received the touch unstartled.

    Shirley | Charlotte Bront
  • From the instant that Antonia found herself there unstartled, her point of view was changed.

    The Lady of Fort St. John | Mary Hartwell Catherwood
  • But he restrained himself at sight of Billy's unstartled body and cold and cloudy eyes.

  • She turned, unstartled, but with an air of imperfect recognition.

    The Divine Fire | May Sinclair