From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishstartlingstart‧ling /ˈstɑːtlɪŋ $ ˈstɑːrt-/ adjective SURPRISEDvery unusual or surprising Paddy’s words had a startling effect on the children. a startling discoveryit is startling to do something It is startling to read that his father never visited him in hospital. —startlingly adverb
Examples from the Corpus
startling• The conclusion which is reached is quite startling.• Their non-media businesses included startling acquisitions such as the prestige Chateau Latour vineyard and the Royal Doulton china business.• A typically startling and ambitious novel of murder and other threats.• DuPont's 1988 survey showed a startling change in the attitude of male employees.• And the consequences could be even more startling, for better or for worse.• Perhaps even more startling, given the recent repressive climate, Zverev himself could also be seen working intuitively in public.• There has been a startling increase in the numbers of homeless people.• The programme documents startling new theories about the way the universe began.• The sound of clothes tumbling on to the floor was a startling phenomenon, difficult to interpret.• The one exception was her glasses, whose frames were a startling pink - perhaps an attempt to liven up her image? 