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.
have panicked
-
present perfectof panic.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the 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.
At times, pilots have panicked, fearing they were running out of runway, and braked too hard, causing accidents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
Many Americans are souring on the technology amid mass layoffs, data center sprawl, reports of chatbot-fueled attacks by unstable users and hacking tools that have panicked cybersecurity professionals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
Investors have panicked in part because warnings from Zions and Western Alliance are a reminder of the 2023 collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2025
Normal humans would likely have panicked and crumbled.
From BBC ● May 19, 2025
I would have panicked, but the injection was already starting to make me feel groggy.
From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge
