startling
/ˈstɑːtlɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈstɑːrtlɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈstär-tᵊl-iŋ ˈstärt-liŋ/ (ame, mw)
startling — adjective
- startlingpositive
- more startlingcomparative
- most startlingsuperlative
1. Startling describes something so sudden or unexpected that it surprises you, oft
Startling describes something so sudden or unexpected that it surprises you, often in a way that also worries or alarms you slightly.
The startling drop in sales forced the company to close three stores.
attributive: startling + noun
Minh found it startling how quickly the forest had recovered after the fire.
pattern: find + it + startling + how-clause
Dr. Rachid's team made a startling discovery beneath the old city library.
Theo's speech was not angry but full of startling facts about water pollution.
It was startling to learn that Diya had worked at the hospital for twenty years.
- shocking
stronger negative emotional impact; implies moral outrage or deep disturbance rather than simple surprise
- astonishing
more positive or neutral; suggests amazement and wonder rather than worry
- surprising
broader and less intense; covers any unexpected event without the alarm or worry element
- alarming
more directly negative; focuses on the sense of danger or threat rather than general surprise
- expected
opposite of surprising; describes outcomes that are predictable or foreseen
- unsurprising
direct opposite; describes something that does not cause any surprise
文法句型
startling + noun
be/seem + startling
find + it + startling + (how/what/when/to-infinitive) clause
用法筆記
Gradable adjective used both before a noun and after linking verbs such as be, seem, and find. Frequently followed by a clause beginning with how, what, or when, or by a to-infinitive. Can be modified by very, quite, rather, or a bit.