startle
verb
[ ˈstɑːt(ə)l ]
• cause to feel sudden shock or alarm.
• "a sudden sound in the doorway startled her"
Similar:
surprise,
frighten,
scare,
alarm,
give someone a shock,
give someone a fright,
give someone a jolt,
make someone jump,
perturb,
unsettle,
agitate,
disturb,
disconcert,
disquiet,
give someone a turn,
flabbergast,
Opposite:
put at ease,
Origin:
Old English steartlian ‘kick, struggle’, from the base of start. The early sense gave rise to ‘move quickly, caper’ (typically said of cattle), whence ‘cause to react with fear’ (late 16th century).
