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startle

DEFINITIONS OF: startle

1

v to stimulate to action

“..startled him awake”
Synonyms:
galvanise, galvanize
Type of:
ball over, blow out of the water, floor, shock, take aback
surprise greatly; knock someone's socks off

v move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm

“She startled when I walked into the room”
Synonyms:
jump, start
Types:
show 4 types...
hide 4 types...
shy
start suddenly, as from fright
boggle
startle with amazement or fear
rear back
start with anger or resentment or in protest
jackrabbit
go forward or start with a fast, sudden movement
Type of:
move
move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion

n a sudden involuntary movement

Synonyms:
jump, start
Types:
startle reaction, startle response
a complicated involuntary reaction to a sudden unexpected stimulus (especially a loud noise); involves flexion of most skeletal muscles and a variety of visceral reactions
Moro reflex, startle reflex
a normal reflex of young infants; a sudden loud noise causes the child to stretch out the arms and flex the legs
flinch, wince
a reflex response to sudden pain
Type of:
inborn reflex, innate reflex, instinctive reflex, physiological reaction, reflex, reflex action, reflex response, unconditioned reflex
an automatic instinctive unlearned reaction to a stimulus
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