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:
They also avoided the most turbulent periods such as the Covid-19 panic and financial crisis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
So if golf courses aren’t causing a national water panic, I’m not sure why data centers should.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
"I think this is becoming a panic," he said this weekend in an interview with CBS News.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Signs are emerging that the latest attacks could trigger an acute market panic, with Brent crude buyers paying a steep premium for early delivery — an indication that the industry fears an impending supply crisis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
She must see panic on my face because her voice instantly changes.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
They include Welsh groups Super Furry Animals and Panic Shack, as well as Loose Articles and Mogwai, with the latter appearing as a sponsor on the shirt worn by Chatten at Reading.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
Panic has set in among some who reportedly find themselves screaming in committee meetings, “We’re screwed!”
From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026
“Between Panic and Paradise,” Eileen Cowin’s penetrating retrospective at LACMA, begins in the present, with large, recent color photographs and her newest work, a stirring video.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 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
Panic and horror and misery had taken hold of her, but her numb lips formed words, tried to keep him talking.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
She panics briefly, then gathers herself and finds her confidence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 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
Whenever somebody stares at Sasha-Jay Davies in a supermarket, she panics, thinking they recognise her face and are about to confront her.
From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2026
Instead it’s a holdover from a bygone era of the gold standard, fixed exchange rates and periodic panics about global liquidity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026
Spencer, the boy who sits next to me in science, panics.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
His home isn’t oceanfront, so he’s not too panicked about the upcoming winter, but he will be prepared for likely flooding, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Students were panicked, Dawadi said, and one girl fainted.
From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026
I point this out because investors panicked earlier this week as the bottom appeared to drop out of the market — even if temporarily.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026
Lifesaving Association warns prospective lifeguards that “a panicked victim, desperate for buoyant support, is a very real threat to an approaching rescuer.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Hanako felt a little panicked in the longer tunnels.
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
Hartnett has often reminded investors of late that markets stop panicking when the Fed starts panicking.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
When it happens, and it can - the flight can be cancelled, or the train is delayed, there is so much traffic, I don't want the players and staff panicking.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
“I’ve been saying ‘bond traders can stop panicking when the Fed starts panicking.’
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
"People were panicking, running here and there. We're evacuating for the time being... and trying to get to the hills," he said, adding: "My family is safe. No one was harmed."
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
I thought she was panicking, changing her mind about seeing the cells.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
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.
