I am writing a short story, but I am mostly stuck in one word substitution (as my vocabulary isn't that strong). So I want to know one word for the following phrase —
the act of taking your head back on seeing something strange (or unexpected)
Sample sentence —
She turned away and was a little shocked ... (the act of taking your head back on seeing something strange (or unexpected)) ... by the sight of the filled porcelain.
This is not a single word, but it works for your purposes: taken aback
This can be used in the figurative sense (and usually is), meaning:
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
It's origin is a nautical term:
Now surviving mainly in taken aback, which originally was a nautical expression in reference to a vessel's square sails when a sudden change of wind flattens them back against the masts and stops the forward motion (1754).
Literally, it means being pushed backward (as the head in your example) or halted in your tracks.
Start, perhaps - To (cause to) make a sudden movement, and related senses.(OED)
To make a sudden movement, esp. of part of one's body, as to avoid a blow or perceived threat; to flinch or recoil from something in alarm or repugnance. Chiefly with from or with adverbs (as aback, aside, away, back, etc.). Also with the part of the body as subject. (OED)
To undergo a sudden involuntary movement of the body, resulting from surprise, fright, sudden pain, etc.; (sometimes without implication of actual movement) to feel startled or momentarily perturbed, as at a sudden realization. (OED)
So,... "She turned away and started at the sight of the filled porcelain."
From the full (subscription only) Oxford English Dictionary...
shy intransitive
1: to take a sudden fright or aversion;
to make a difficulty, ‘boggle’ about doing something;
to recoil.
2: (Of a horse) To shrink or start back or aside through sudden fear.
When to shy is used with a person as the subject, it's usually in more metaphoric negating contexts (He never shies away from hard work). But synonyms such as recoil, shrink - and passive be repulsed / repelled [by] - can all be used to convey rapidly jerk back from [something strange / disgusting / scary], if you don't want to potentially liken your subject to a skittish horse.
I'd also say recoil or flinch:
recoil: to make a sudden movement away from something esp. because of fear or disgust
flinch: to withdraw or shrink from or as if from pain
I think Killing Time's comment fits well, too:
She turned away and did a double take at the sight of the filled porcelain.
A "double take" involves a bit of a delayed reaction, which I envision as having a physical component. Imagine the situation Merriam-Webster gives as an example:
His parents did a double take when he came home with a tattoo.
I imagine that they say "hi" as always and are already turning back to whatever they were doing before he entered, only to turn their heads back, startled, because by then the realization had surfaced that he has this new image on his skin that wasn't there before.
The movement may well involve moving the head backwards as when you try to assess something skeptically, frowning, symbolically increasing the distance to the subject of scrutiny, thinking "wait a minute". You can surely do a double take that way and still look away, if you want to avoid eye contact or don't want to stare; in that case you would freeze for a second, perhaps mentally "replaying" what you saw and considering a proper reaction, without taking a closer look right away.
Perhaps the word you are looking for is startle. It hints at physical movement, but not explicitly.
startle
verb: cause (a person or animal) to feel sudden shock or alarm.
"a sudden sound in the doorway startled her"
startled
adjective: feeling or showing sudden shock or alarm.
verb: startle; 3rd person present: startles; past tense: startled; past participle: startled; gerund or present participle: startling
She turned away and was startled by the sight of the filled porcelain.
I would not write "She turned away and was startled by the sight of the filled porcelain." It sounds out of order. I would say "She was startled by the sight of the filled porcelain and turned away." Edit: Disregard my suggestion about order. It's irrelevant without context. My mistake.
It depends on what you mean by "taking your head back"; back can mean either "backwards, away from" or "returning to".
If you mean the first, a backwards movement away from the surprising thing, then the suggestions from other answers—"to shy", "to shrink", "to recoil", "to start"—all fit.
But if you mean the second, a movement where you return your attention to the surprising thing, then the phrase is "double take", and the action is "to do a double take". There is (as far as I know) no single word for this.
Another word used for sudden physical movements is jerk:
to make a short sudden movement, or to cause someone or something to do this:
- "What's wrong?" she asked, jerking her head up. (Cambridge)
So you could say jerked back
To physically jerk or bounce off, especially in a backward motion. To move back or away from, especially because of fear or disgust (WordHippo)
The expression jerking one's head back is also possible.
Depending on how strongly your character reacts, I'd suggest reeled:
Reel: to waver or fall back (as from a blow)
Your sentence could then be:
She turned away and reeled at the sight of the filled porcelain.
This implies quite a dramatic reaction, though, not just a slight movement of surprise.
If the intended emotion is that of confusion rather than fright or shock, "goggled at" works. It refers to the sort of confused head-bobble where you look at something, jerk your head back, then move it closer to look at it.
"She turned away and goggled at the filled porcelain."
