ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsSstartled
ISEE/SSATeasy
startled
Meaning: suddenly surprised or alarmed
startled in a sentence
How startled is used in real sentences:
The quiet class looked startled when the school bell suddenly rang.
The squirrel looked startled when a ball landed beside the tree.
“An owl's sharp call broke the silence, and the startled buck froze with its ears raised.”
— from the passage Before the First Snow
Synonyms for startled
Other words for startled — surprised, alarmed and shocked — carry the same meaning.
- surprised
- alarmed
- shocked
Antonyms of startled
Words that mean the opposite of startled:
- calm
- unsurprised
Where it comes from
From Old English styrtan 'to leap up'
Memory hook
When startled, you may suddenly start or jump.