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Startle vs Befuddle - What's the difference?

startle | befuddle |

In label|en|transitive terms the difference between startle and befuddle

is that startle is (label) to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension; to frighten suddenly and not seriously; to alarm; to surprise while befuddle is (label) to stupefy someone, especially with alcohol.

As verbs the difference between startle and befuddle

is that startle is (label) to move suddenly, or be excited, on feeling alarm; to start while befuddle is (label) to perplex, confuse (someone).

As a noun startle

is a sudden motion or shock caused by an unexpected alarm, surprise, or apprehension of danger.

startle

English

Verb

(startl)
  • (label) To move suddenly, or be excited, on feeling alarm; to start.
  • * (Joseph Addison) (1672-1719)
    • Why shrinks the soul / Back on herself, and startles at destruction?
  • (label) To excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension; to frighten suddenly and not seriously; to alarm; to surprise.
  • * (John Locke) (1632-1705)
    • The supposition, at least, that angels do sometimes assume bodies need not startle us.
  • * 1896 , (Joseph Conrad), "(An Outcast of the Islands)"
    • Nothing could startle her, make her scold or make her cry. She did not complain, she did not rebel.
  • * , title=Say Cheese and Die, Again!
    • , passage=The high voice in the night air startled me. Without thinking, I started to run. Then stopped. I spun around, my heart heaving against my chest. And saw a boy. About my age.}}
  • To deter; to cause to deviate.
    • (Clarendon)
  • *{{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Michael Arlen), title= “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days, chapter=Ep./4/2
    • , passage=As they turned into Hertford Street they startled a robin from the poet's head on a barren fountain, and he fled away with a cameo note.}}

    Synonyms

    * (to move suddenly) start * (to excite suddenly) alarm, frighten, scare, surprise * (deter) deter

    Derived terms

    * (l)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A sudden motion or shock caused by an unexpected alarm, surprise, or apprehension of danger.
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1845 , author=George Hooker Colton, James Davenport Whelpley , title=The American review , chapter=1 , passage=The figure of a man heaving in sight amidst these wide solitudes, always causes a startle and thrill of expectation and doubt, similar to the feeling produced by the announcement of " a strange sail ahead" on shipboard, during a long voyage.}}

    Derived terms

    * (l) * (l)

    See also

    * (l)

    Anagrams

    *

    befuddle

    English

    Verb

    (befuddl)
  • (label) to perplex, confuse (someone)
  • (label) to stupefy someone, especially with alcohol
  • * 1983 , Basile Kerblay, Modern Soviet Society , page 290
    • ... to the American and French alcoholics, who drink in order to get drunk and befuddle the brain

    Synonyms

    * See also