a sudden involuntary movement; "he awoke with a start"
Used in a Sentence
startle
How to use startle in a sentence. Example sentences and definitions for startle.
Editorial note
It's sorta like when you watch a horror movie that just throws in a loud noise all of a sudden to startle you.
Examples11
Definitions3
Parts of speech2
Quick take
a sudden involuntary movement; "he awoke with a start"
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of startle gathered in one view.
to stimulate to action ; "..startled him awake"; "galvanized into action"
move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm; "She startled when I walked into the room"
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for startle.
noun
a sudden involuntary movement; "he awoke with a start"
verb
to stimulate to action ; "..startled him awake"; "galvanized into action"
verb
move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm; "She startled when I walked into the room"
Example sentences
It's sorta like when you watch a horror movie that just throws in a loud noise all of a sudden to startle you.
The address bar works as both now, it seems that the search bar is left there so that it doesn't startle all the neophobes even more.
We made a little rocket car, then modded it to blow up at the end of the run, then made little poppers to startle the teachers.
This article was a little startle to me - I never really thought to use NoScript as a security measure for myself.
The reasons why herbivores generally startle so easily is because if they don't, they die, and die horribly.
"off-screen sounds" as they're called in entertainment, meaning sounds that have no visual cue to explain their existence, ignite a fleet startle response from ear to brain.
Playing it low gives for the necessary time and opportunity and then, like PG says, startle the world with something nobody ever thought of.
Do you mean the 12V battery that can't shock you, or the spark ignition that won't do much more than startle you?I've had numerous sparks jump from distributors and plug wires through my hand.
If you subvert my lower-level programming like the evolved motion-startle response to grab my attention, this constitutes misuse of my mental hardware.
I find it more likely that terrorists don't think it's worth doing in the first place, security or no. Killing a few dozen people in mid-air might startle a bunch of people on the ground and ground a few flights for a while, but it doesn't actually accomplish anything.
If, in a place where there are only people around I know well, and I remember an event in my past that involved a social interaction in which I acted suboptimally while at the same time someone is crinkling a plastic bag, I will startle to the point of crying out "Aah!".
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use startle in a sentence?
It's sorta like when you watch a horror movie that just throws in a loud noise all of a sudden to startle you.
What does startle mean?
a sudden involuntary movement; "he awoke with a start"
What part of speech is startle?
startle is commonly used as noun, verb.