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Startle vs Electrify - What's the difference?

startle | electrify | Related terms |

In intransitive terms the difference between startle and electrify

is that startle is to move suddenly, or be excited, on feeling alarm; to start while electrify is to become electric.

In transitive terms the difference between startle and electrify

is that startle is to excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension; to frighten suddenly and not seriously; to alarm; to surprise while electrify is to excite suddenly and violently, especially by something highly delightful or inspiriting; to thrill.

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

    *

    electrify

    English

    (Webster 1913)

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • To communicate or supply electricity to; to charge with electricity.
  • to electrify a jar
  • To cause electricity to pass through; to affect by electricity; to give an electric shock to.
  • to electrify a limb, or the body
  • To excite suddenly and violently, especially by something highly delightful or inspiriting; to thrill.
  • This patriotic sentiment electrified the audience.
  • * Macaulay
  • If the sovereign were now to immure a subject in defiance of the writ of habeas corpus the whole nation would be instantly electrified by the news.
  • * George Eliot
  • Try whether she could electrify Mr. Grandcourt by mentioning it to him at table.
  • * '>citation
  • To become electric.
  • to adapt (a home, farm, village, city, industry, railroad) for electric power