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.
panicky
-
a word derived from
panic.
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.
The example is from Ozu’s 1929 “Days of Youth,” in which a suitor gets paint on his hand, knows it, and gets panicky trying to hide it from his would-be sweetheart.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
In fact, cash levels remained unaltered from March at 4.3%, still some way off the panicky highs of 4.8% in April 2025 and 6.3% in October 2022.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 14, 2026
Markets bounced back by May, suggesting the “triple red” was just a panicky hiccup.
From Barron's ● Dec. 26, 2025
A Sept. 19 Emirates flight from San Francisco to Dubai had to abort its departure to allow several panicky passengers to debark, according to Bloomberg.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2025
At once, Hermione Granger’s voice seemed to fill his head, shrill and panicky.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
