Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • That startles or that excites sudden surprise, apprehension, fear, or like emotion; that rouses or suddenly and forcibly attracts attention: as, startling news; a startling discovery.
  • Easily startled or alarmed; skittish; shying.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb Present participle of startle.
  • adjective Likely to startle; surprising; shocking.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm

Etymologies

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Examples

Comments

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  • What common 9-letter word in the English language is still a word when each of the nine letters is removed one by one? (I'll bet there are more). L,T,A,R,T,G,S,N = I

    April 17, 2008

  • startling

    starting

    staring

    string

    sting

    sing

    sin

    in

    I

    April 17, 2008

  • Sparkling is another.

    April 26, 2008

  • When a starling lands in a cup of T.

    May 22, 2024