panic attack

American  

noun

Psychiatry.

panic attacks plural

1. an intense attack of anxiety characterized by feelings of impending doom and trembling, sweating, pounding heart, and other physical symptoms.

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panic attack British  

noun

1. an episode of acute and disabling anxiety associated with such physical symptoms as hyperventilation and sweating See also panic disorder

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• panic attacks
  plural

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

panic attack

During the meal, he had a panic attack and excused himself to call his therapist.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

On the main stage, May Habib, chief executive of an AI platform called Writer, told the audience that Fortune 500 bosses are having a "collective panic attack" on the subject.

From Barron's ● Apr. 12, 2026

Irish filmmaker John Kelly, who specializes in animation, had a panic attack on an airplane while going through endless flagged emails.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 13, 2026

At one point the immersion in words triggered a panic attack, “like I was hearing voices.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026

For a second, I think I might have a panic attack, but I calm myself down.

From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez

Related Words

• spasm