panic
noun
a sudden overwhelming fear, with or without cause, that produces hysterical or irrational behavior, and that often spreads quickly through a group of persons or animals.
panic
1 American
[pan-ik]
/ ˈpæn ɪk /
noun
-
a sudden overwhelming fear, with or without cause, that produces hysterical or irrational behavior, and that often spreads quickly through a group of persons or animals.
-
an instance, outbreak, or period of such fear.
-
Finance. a sudden widespread fear concerning financial affairs leading to credit contraction and widespread sale of securities at depressed prices in an effort to acquire cash.
-
Slang. someone or something that is considered hilariously funny.
The comedian was an absolute panic.
adjective
-
of the nature of, caused by, or indicating panic.
A wave of panic buying shook the stock market.
-
(of fear, terror, etc.) suddenly destroying the self-control and impelling to some frantic action.
-
Panic, of or relating to the god Pan.
verb (used with object)
-
panics,
present (3rd person singular)
-
panicked,
past participle, past
-
panicking
present participle
-
to affect with panic; terrify and cause to flee or lose self-control.
-
Slang. to keep (an audience or the like) highly amused.
verb (used without object)
-
panics,
present (3rd person singular)
-
panicked,
past participle, past
-
panicking
present participle
panic
2
American
[pan-ik]
/ ˈpæn ɪk /
noun
-
Also called panic grass. any grass of the genus Panicum, many species of which bear edible grain.
-
the grain.
panic
1
British
/ ˈpænɪk /
noun
-
a sudden overwhelming feeling of terror or anxiety, esp one affecting a whole group of people
-
(modifier) of or resulting from such terror
panic measures
verb
Panic
2
British
/ ˈpænɪk /
adjective
panic
Idioms
Synonym Usage
See terror.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
panicsimple
-
panicssimple
-
have panickedperfect
-
has panickedperfect
-
am panickingprogressive
-
are panickingprogressive
-
is panickingprogressive
-
have been panickingperfect progressive
-
has been panickingperfect progressive
Past
-
panickedsimple
-
had panickedperfect
-
was panickingprogressive
-
were panickingprogressive
-
had been panickingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of panic1
First recorded in 1580–90; earlier panique, from French, from Greek Panikós “of Pan”; see Pan, -ic
Origin of panic2
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English panik, from Latin pānicum “Italian millet”
Explanation
To panic is to become filled with fear and anxiety. Someone in a panic is totally freaking out. Have you ever heard someone say "Don't panic"? That's easier said than done. People panic when they lose control over themselves because of fear, stress, or danger. A pilot who runs into turbulence and then flees from the cockpit has panicked. A surgeon who makes a mistake might panic for a second, before chilling out and helping the patient. It's hard to do a good job when you panic. Panicking is pretty much the opposite of relaxing.
Vocabulary lists containing panic
Emotions on Display
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You Name It: Eponyms
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Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The heat can trigger this feeling of panic, making her feel "really isolated" and like she cannot breathe.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Zika can spread from a birthing parent to their child in the womb and cause congenital disabilities, which notoriously led to panic after an outbreak erupted in Brazil in 2015.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
That latter point may even be true, but officials have traded one panic for another by setting in motion exchange-market wobbles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
"Police, fire, ambulance -- we're all taught: 'reassure people, keep them safe, and avoid panic, and you know, take charge'," Mullins said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
“It’s all right,” Helen whispers, noting my panic and confusing it for mere lateness.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Matt said Manchester-based punk band Loose Articles were the first band to come on board, as the drummer's mum lives in Cwmbran, as well as Welsh band Panic Shack.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
"The Kimi Panic needs to stop," said David Sacks, the White House's former chief on AI policy, who still has the president's ear.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Probably a satire inspired by the Panic of 1873, the painting humorously anthropomorphizes animals to show the chaos of the market, with each contingent fighting for control.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
After the Gunners lost at Etihad Stadium in April, City supporters unveiled a banner that said "Panic on the streets of London" - but Arsenal fans have used all of that to fuel their celebrations.
From BBC ● May 20, 2026
Panic churned up in her and she wanted to run away.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
While they fight over custody she panics and plans to run away with Nino.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Until the railroad boom of the 18th century’s second half, the U.S. was actually lagging the U.K., owing to major panics in 1819 and 1837.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 3, 2026
She panics briefly, then gathers herself and finds her confidence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
Throughout the 1800s and early 1900s, the federal government stepped in repeatedly during banking panics to stabilize the system.
From Salon ● Apr. 28, 2026
He starts coughing—hard—and everyone panics, rushing to get him water, tissues.
From "Watch Us Rise" by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan
When my father, a journalist, read the comments, he panicked.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Many Iranian Jews panicked in 1979 after the new leaders arrested and executed Habib Elghanian on charges of Zionist espionage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Olga Congacha, 50, who had to flee her village of Robledo de Chavela west of Madrid with hastily grabbed documents and clothes, told AFP she felt "panicked" when told to leave her home.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
Reports in Chiapas indicated a series of after-shocks as panicked residents left their homes as a precaution.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Walking to Gotham’s office, he panicked and ducked into a Tie Rack and bought a tie.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
His friend Scarlett was the one who enthusiastically pushed Nasa’s hand up when Hurwitz, panicking, asked if anyone in the audience was an “amazing sight reader.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
"The government reports make it sound absolutely terrifying, panicking everyone, right?" said another breakfast shop owner in Keelung surnamed Li, upset at the loss of business from the storm.
From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026
French technology group 2CRSi’s stock tumbled more than 40% after accusations from a New York–based short seller — panicking retail investors in France, who sold other unrelated companies in the space.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 18, 2026
He said at that point the girls "started panicking" and said he was following them.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
A small number of those people admitted to panicking.
From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
