Meanings
- gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of startle
comparative more startling · superlative most startling
- Likely to startle; surprising; shocking.
That startling admission capped a miserable night for City as they arrived in Germany following an unbeaten start to the season.
2011 September 27, Alistair Magowan, “Bayern Munich 2 - 0 Man City”, in BBC SportSynonyms: alarming
plural startlings
- A startle; a sudden motion or shock.
Soon the formications and muscular debility returned, not alone, but accompanied with painful cramps and startlings in the feet and calves of the legs.
1853, The Scottish Review
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveLikely to startle; surprising; shocking.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveso remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Bulgarian плашещ, обезпокоителен
- плашещ (plašešt)likely to startle
- обезпокоителен (obezpokoitelen)likely to startle
Czech překvapivý
- překvapivýlikely to startle
Finnish hätkähdyttävä
- hätkähdyttävälikely to startle
German überraschend, alarmierend
- überraschendlikely to startle
- alarmierendlikely to startle
- erschreckendlikely to startle
- erstaunlichlikely to startle
- schockierendlikely to startle
- bestürzendlikely to startle
Italian sconvolgente, sorprendente
- sconvolgentelikely to startle
- sorprendentelikely to startle
Norwegian oppsiktsvekkende
- oppsiktsvekkendelikely to startle
Spanish sorprendente, alarmante
- sorprendentelikely to startle
- alarmantelikely to startle
Cite this entry
startling. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/startling
“startling.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/startling. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “startling,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/startling.
Source: startling on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.