startled
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
How often you will meet it
Rank 1,945 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 9,251 times across 173,499 chapters — 0.004% of every word in the library.
What it means
adjective
- excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement students startled by the teacher's quiet returnthe sudden fluttering of the startled pigeons
startled in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
-
Seest thou shadows sailing by, As the dove, with startled eye, Sees the falcon's shadow fly?
The Complete Poetical Works of Henry · Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Chapter 1
-
At nine o’clock, just as they had passed into the parlor, the sound of carriage-wheels startled the Rue St. Gilles.
Other People's Money · Emile Gaboriau · Chapter 1
-
With that, as his own met the keen eyes behind the spectacles, he was aware of a look which startled him.
The Courage of the Commonplace · Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews · Chapter 1
-
Tanky, startled at his sudden loneliness, seemed by his expression to be endeavouring to bring his mind to bear on the matter.
The Little Nugget · P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse · Chapter 1
-
Then Joseph saw a look that he never had seen afore in the little man's eyes and was startled, but not afeared.
The Torch and Other Tales · Eden Phillpotts · Chapter 1