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")

Antonyms of adj startling

1 sense of startling

Sense 1
startling -- (so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm; "Sydney's startling new Opera House"; "startling news"; "startling earthquake shocks")

INDIRECT (VIA surprising) -> unsurprising -- (not causing surprise)

Similarity of adj startling

1 sense of startling

Sense 1
startling -- (so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm; "Sydney's startling new Opera House"; "startling news"; "startling earthquake shocks")
       => surprising (vs. unsurprising) -- (causing surprise or wonder or amazement; "the report shows a surprising lack of hard factual data"; "leaped up with surprising agility"; "she earned a surprising amount of money")