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.
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.
to affect with panic; terrify and cause to flee or lose self-control.
Slang. to keep (an audience or the like) highly amused.
Also called panic grass. any grass of the genus Panicum, many species of which bear edible grain.
the grain.
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
See terror.
First recorded in 1580–90; earlier panique, from French, from Greek Panikós “of Pan”; see Pan, -ic
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English panik, from Latin pānicum “Italian millet”
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.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This is when panic set in, and he threw on a T-shirt and sliders, running out of his house and across the road to the house which had been struck by lightning.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
For months after his parents left, he suffered panic attacks in grocery stores.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
When Ohio Life closed its doors in August, a credit panic was triggered in New York.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
Though Hong Kong has overtaken Switzerland as the number one in cross-border wealth management, rather than enter panic mode, Swiss banks seem unruffled -- feeling it bolsters the case against looming tighter banking regulations.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
I was seconds away from what was sure to be an impressive panic attack when Regan snapped her head up.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
