panic

¹ American  

[pan-ik] / ˈpæn ɪk /

noun

1. 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.

   Synonyms:

   fear , alarm

2. an instance, outbreak, or period of such fear.

3. 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.

4. Slang.  someone or something that is considered hilariously funny.

   The comedian was an absolute panic.

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adjective

1. of the nature of, caused by, or indicating panic.

   A wave of panic buying shook the stock market.

2. (of fear, terror, etc.) suddenly destroying the self-control and impelling to some frantic action.

3. Panic, of or relating to the god Pan.

verb (used with object)

panicked, panicking

1. to affect with panic; terrify and cause to flee or lose self-control.

2. Slang.  to keep (an audience or the like) highly amused.

verb (used without object)

panicked, panicking

1. to be stricken with panic; become frantic with fear.

   The herd panicked and stampeded.

panic ² American  

[pan-ik] / ˈpæn ɪk /

noun

1. Also called panic grass.  any grass of the genus Panicum, many species of which bear edible grain.

2. the grain.

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panic ¹ British  

/ ˈpænɪk /

noun

1. a sudden overwhelming feeling of terror or anxiety, esp one affecting a whole group of people

2. (modifier) of or resulting from such terror

   panic measures

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verb

1. to feel or cause to feel panic

Panic ² British  

/ ˈpænɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the god Pan

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panic Idioms  

1. see push the panic button.

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Related Words

See terror.

Other Word Forms

• panicky adjective
• unpanicky adjective

Etymology

Origin of panic¹

First recorded in 1580–90; earlier panique, from French, from Greek Panikós “of Pan”; Pan, -ic

Origin of panic²

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English panik, from Latin pānicum “Italian millet”

Example Sentences

“This is what we call in sociology a moral panic,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

The smoke wasn’t strong, but it was enough to send her into a fight-or-flight panic.

From The Wall Street Journal

On the economic front, Europe’s political class is trapped in a permanent panic attack.

From The Wall Street Journal

Films are a chance to work out these nagging, existential neuroses that live in the back of the mind, the type that overwhelm to the point of panic if thought about for too long.

From Salon

"Even if she coughs just a few times, I panic."

From BBC

Related Words

• alarm
• confusion
• consternation
• dismay
• dread
• fear
• frenzy
• horror
• hysteria
• rush
• scare
• stampede
• terror
• trepidation