startling
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.very surprising, unusual, or sudden in a way that gets your attention immediately.
adj.causing a sudden feeling of surprise or alarm; highly remarkable or unexpected.
Simple“The report revealed a startling increase in the cost of living this year.”
In context“The researchers uncovered a startling correlation between sleep deprivation and long-term cognitive decline that had previously been overlooked.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
n.a sudden movement or feeling of surprise.
n.the act of startling or the state of being startled; a sudden involuntary movement caused by surprise.
Simple“The loud bang gave her a sudden startling that made her drop her glass.”
In context“He awoke with a violent startling, his heart racing as the echoes of the dream faded into the quiet room.”
“Once found throughout the Midwest—from Iowa and the Dakotas to Michigan and southern Canada—the Poweshiek skipperling began disappearing with startling speed in the early 2000s.”
“They lie in mud, shells, ice and rock - fragments of evidence from a time when the Atlantic appears to have changed with startling speed.”