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.
are panicking
-
present progressiveof panic.present progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or state that is currently taking place in the immediate present.
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.
“Naturally, investors are panicking that we’re about to see cheap domestic supply flood a market that’s been overheating for months,” Nic Puckrin, founder of Coin Bureau and a cross-asset analyst, said in emailed comments.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Investors are panicking that advances in AI will disrupt nearly all software and information services businesses.
From Barron's ● Feb. 4, 2026
Perhaps the biggest danger of this trend is that people are panicking about their cortisol for no reason.
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2025
Another said that fellow backbenchers tend to panic close to general election time if their party is behind in the polls but "we are panicking in less than a year".
From BBC ● May 2, 2025
And now Stalin’s army is closing in and people are panicking.
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
