Startle
/ˈstɑːr.təl/noun
To surprise or frighten someone suddenly, causing a brief involuntary reaction.
Did you know?Startle began as a physical movement word—‘to leap up’—before developing its modern psychological sense of sudden fright or surprise.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*stertaną
“To leap, spring, or move suddenly; reconstructed source of the related Germanic movement vocabulary.”
Old English
Old English
styrtan
“To leap up or spring suddenly; the closely related early English form.”
Middle English
Middle English
starten
“To spring, jump, or move abruptly.”
Late 14th Century
Middle English
startlen
“A frequentative form of starten, meaning to start or move suddenly and repeatedly.”
15th–16th Century
English
startle
“To cause someone to make a sudden movement or sudden start.”
Modern English
English
startle
“To surprise or frighten suddenly, producing an involuntary reaction.”