startled
verb
Form of startle , past tense of startle.
Simple meaning
Move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
stahrtuhldSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈstɑɹtəld
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
past tense of startle
Move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm
“She startled when I walked into the room.”
past tense of startle
To excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension; to frighten suddenly and not seriously; to alarm; to surprise.
past tense of startle
To move suddenly, or be excited, on feeling alarm; to start.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
This meaning: Move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm
Used this way, startled is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It comes across as direct, sometimes bluntly so.
“She startled when I walked into the room.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Sudden and forceful
- Usage feel
- Blunt and forceful
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use startled
- “She startled when I walked into the room.”verb
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “startled” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.