startling

Language: en

🇺🇸 /ˈstɑrtlɪŋ/

📖 Definitions

  1. adjective
    Causing sudden surprise, alarm, or astonishment; remarkably unexpected or striking.; Strikingly unusual or remarkable in appearance, quality, or degree.; Causing a sudden involuntary reaction due to fear or surprise; alarming.
  2. verb
    Present participle of 'startle'; causing someone to feel sudden shock or alarm.

🔗 Details

Word forms

3rd sing.: startles Past: startled Past part.: startled Pres part.: startling

Collocations

startling revelationstartling discoverystartling contraststartling similaritystartling factstartling reminder

Derivatives

startlinglystartlingstartled

Synonyms

astonishingsurprisingstunningshockingremarkablestriking

Antonyms

unsurprisingexpectedordinarymundane

Commonly confused

startled
EN: 'Startling' describes the thing that causes surprise (active); 'startled' describes the person who experiences surprise (passive).
startlingly
EN: 'Startlingly' is the adverb form used to modify verbs or adjectives (e.g., 'startlingly similar'), while 'startling' is the adjective.

Spelling tips

EN: No common spelling issues. Note the silent 'e' is dropped before adding '-ing' (startle → startling).

💬 Examples

  1. The report revealed a startling increase in crime rates over the past year.

  2. She bore a startling resemblance to her grandmother at the same age.

  3. A startling noise from the basement made everyone jump.

  4. The loud thunder was startling the horses in the field.