Deer and rabbits are easily startled.
The car lurched forward like a startled animal.
The spelling is startled, as in The trick STARTLED him.
Yes, "startled" is the past participle of startle.
Startled is the verb in your sentence.
Startled means to be in shock or amaze of something.
more startled most startled
You startled me, because I hadn't heard you come home.
The is the past tense of the VERB to startle.
The startled deer zigzagged out of the underbrush and was gone in a flash.
Comfert
He glanced over my shoulder with a startled expression.
As big as the biggest animal gets