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Startle vs Scare - What's the difference?

startle | scare | Synonyms |

Scare is a synonym of startle.



As verbs the difference between startle and scare

is that startle is to move suddenly, or be excited, on feeling alarm; to start while scare is to frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way.

As nouns the difference between startle and scare

is that startle is a sudden motion or shock caused by an unexpected alarm, surprise, or apprehension of danger while scare is a minor fright.

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

    *

    scare

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A minor fright.
    • Johnny had a bad scare last night.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=June 4 , author=Phil McNulty , title=England 2 - 2 Switzerland , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=England were held to a draw after surviving a major scare against Switzerland as they were forced to come from two goals behind to earn a point in the Euro 2012 qualifier at Wembley.}}
  • A cause of slight terror; something that inspires fear or dread.
    • JM is a scare to the capitalists of this country.

    Synonyms

    * fright

    Related terms

    * scary

    See also

    * scarecrow

    Verb

  • To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way.
    • Did it scare you when I said "Boo!"?
  • * (rfdate) (Shakespeare)
    • The noise of thy crossbow / Will scare the herd, and so my shoot is lost.
  • * (The Langoliers)
    • (Laurel Stevenson) Would you please be quiet? You're scaring the little girl.
    (Craig Toomey) Scaring the little girl?! Scaring the little girl?! Lady!

    Synonyms

    * frighten * terrify * See also

    Derived terms

    * bird-scarer * Red scare * scarecrow * scared * scaredy-cat * scaremonger * scare out of one's wits * scarer * scare straight * scare the pants off of

    Anagrams

    * ----