Skip to content

sursauter

to start (with fright)

verb soor-soh-TEH Rare
Body & Health Movement

Also means

to jump (in surprise)

Usage Note

Sursauter describes the involuntary physical flinch or jump caused by a sudden fright or loud noise. It is more specific than sauter ('to jump') — it implies surprise. The related noun is sursaut ('a start, a jolt'), which also appears in the figurative phrase un sursaut d'énergie ('a sudden burst of energy'). A typical usage: faire sursauter quelqu'un ('to make someone jump').

Examples

"Le bruit soudain l'a fait sursauter."

Natural Translation

The sudden noise made him jump.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore French by topic