different between marvel vs startle

English

Alternative forms

• marvail, marvell (obsolete)

Etymology

First attested from 1300, from Middle English merveile, from Old French merveille (“a wonder”), from Vulgar Latin *miribilia, from Latin mirabilia (“wonderful things”), from neuter plural of mirabilis (“strange, wonderful”), from miror (“I wonder at”), from mirus (“wonderful”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?m??vl?/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m??vl?/
• Rhymes: -??(?)v?l
• Hyphenation: mar?vel

Noun

marvel (plural marvels)

1. That which causes wonder; a prodigy; a miracle.
2. Wonder, astonishment.

Derived terms

• marvelous, marvellous

Translations

Verb

marvel (third-person singular simple present marvels, present participle (UK) marvelling or (US) marveling, simple past and past participle (UK) marvelled or (US) marveled)

1. (intransitive) To become filled with wonderment or admiration; to be amazed at something.
2. (obsolete, transitive) To marvel at.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Wyclif to this entry?)

3. (obsolete, transitive, used impersonally) To cause to marvel or be surprised.
   • 15th century, Anonymous, Richard the Redeless

     But much now me marvelleth.

Translations

Anagrams

• vermal

English

Etymology

From Middle English startlen, stertlen, stertyllen (“to rush, stumble along”), from Old English steartlian (“to kick with the foot, struggle, stumble”), equivalent to start +? -le. Cognate with Old Norse stirtla (“to hobble, stagger”), Icelandic stirtla (“to straighten up, erect”). Compare also Middle English stertil (“hasty”). More at start.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?st??t(?)l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?st??t(?)l/
• Rhymes: -??(?)t?l

Verb

startle (third-person singular simple present startles, present participle startling, simple past and past participle startled)

1. (intransitive) To move suddenly, or be excited, on feeling alarm; to start.

   • Why shrinks the soul / Back on herself, and startles at destruction?

2. (transitive) To excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension; to frighten suddenly and not seriously; to alarm; to surprise.

   • 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.
3. (transitive, obsolete) To deter; to cause to deviate.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Clarendon to this entry?)

Synonyms

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

Derived terms

• startling

Translations

Noun

startle (plural startles)

1. A sudden motion or shock caused by an unexpected alarm, surprise, or apprehension of danger.

Derived terms

• startler
• startlish

Translations

See also

• skittish

Anagrams

• Slatter, Stalter, Statler, rattles, slatter, starlet