French word

sursauter

Pronunciation

IPA/syʁsote/

Meaning

  • verbstart

Example

Elle a sursauté en entendant le bruit.

She started when she heard the noise.

Illustration for sursauter (start)

More examples

En voyant un insecte voler près de lui, il a sursauté.

Seeing an insect fly near him, he jumped.

Core concept

A startled body that jumps for an instant without choosing to move.

Common phrases

  • sursauter de peur

    jump in fear

  • sursauter au moindre bruit

    jump at the slightest sound

  • sursauter en entendant

    jump on hearing ___

Similar words

tressaillir: To give a small tremble when startled or deeply moved.
frissonner: To shake slightly all over or in part from cold or fear.
se figer: To become suddenly motionless and rigid.

Definition in French

Être saisi d'un mouvement bref et involontaire du corps sous l'effet d'une surprise.

Word origin

French derives sursauter from the noun sursaut by adding -er, and sursaut joins sur- with saut, whose history goes back to Latin saltus, a leap.

Usage tips

  • Unlike sauter, sursauter usually describes an involuntary startle reaction rather than a deliberate jump.

Other meanings

  • flinchverb
  • jumpverb

Opposites

  • se calmercalm downverb

Related words

  • sursauta startnoun

Word lists with this word