startling

[ stahrt-ling, stahr-tl-ing ]

adjective

1. creating sudden alarm, surprise, or wonder; astonishing.

startling

/ ˈstɑːtlɪŋ /

adjective

1. causing surprise or fear; striking; astonishing

Derived Forms

• ˈstartlingly, adverb

Other Words From

• startling·ly adverb
• un·startling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of startling¹

startle + -ing ²

Example Sentences

That close-up of Bono is startling to behold.

From Los Angeles Times

That startling statistic - a year’s worth of rain had been dumped on some parts of Valencia in a matter of hours – became easy to believe as you took all this in.

From BBC

There's been quite a bit of discussion over the past couple of days about the startling fact that the Democrats are just the latest in an unprecedented string of elections over the past few years in which the incumbent party has lost vote share and its leadership ousted.

From Salon

“It’s a scary time to be a trans person, and to hear so much really unfounded and startling rhetoric from that side, and to think that that may be pushed into actual legislation,” Poznanski said.

From Los Angeles Times

He played his boyhood rugby as a wing and still has a startling turn of pace.

From BBC

Related Words

• alarming
• astonishing
• shocking
• surprising
• unexpected