Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun startle

1 sense of startle

Sense 1
startle, jump, start -- (a sudden involuntary movement; "he awoke with a start")
       => reflex, reflex response, reflex action, instinctive reflex, innate reflex, inborn reflex, unconditioned reflex, physiological reaction -- (an automatic instinctive unlearned reaction to a stimulus)

Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb startle

2 senses of startle

Sense 1
startle, galvanize, galvanise -- (to stimulate to action ; "..startled him awake"; "galvanized into action")
       => shock, floor, ball over, blow out of the water, take aback -- (surprise greatly; knock someone's socks off; "I was floored when I heard that I was promoted")

Sense 2
startle, jump, start -- (move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm; "She startled when I walked into the room")
       => move -- (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion; "He moved his hand slightly to the right")