panic

¹

[ pan-ik ]

noun

1. 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.

   Synonyms: fear, alarm

2. an instance, outbreak, or period of such fear.
3. 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.
4. Slang. someone or something that is considered hilariously funny:

   The comedian was an absolute panic.

adjective

1. of the nature of, caused by, or indicating panic:

   A wave of panic buying shook the stock market.

2. (of fear, terror, etc.) suddenly destroying the self-control and impelling to some frantic action.
3. Panic, of or relating to the god Pan.

verb (used with object)

, pan·icked, pan·ick·ing.

1. to affect with panic; terrify and cause to flee or lose self-control.
2. Slang. to keep (an audience or the like) highly amused.

verb (used without object)

, pan·icked, pan·ick·ing.

1. to be stricken with panic; become frantic with fear:

   The herd panicked and stampeded.

panic

²

[ pan-ik ]

noun

1. Also called panic grass. any grass of the genus Panicum, many species of which bear edible grain.
2. the grain.

panic

¹

/ ˈpænɪk /

noun

1. a sudden overwhelming feeling of terror or anxiety, esp one affecting a whole group of people
2. modifier of or resulting from such terror

   panic measures

verb

1. to feel or cause to feel panic

Panic

²

/ ˈpænɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the god Pan

Derived Forms

• ˈpanicky, adjective

Other Words From

• panick·y adjective
• un·panick·y adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of panic¹

First recorded in 1580–90; earlier panique, from French, from Greek Panikós “of Pan”; Pan, -ic

Origin of panic²

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English panik, from Latin pānicum “Italian millet”

Word History and Origins

Origin of panic¹

C17: from French panique, from New Latin pānicus, from Greek panikos emanating from Pan , considered as the source of irrational fear

Idioms and Phrases

see push the panic button .

Synonym Study

See terror.

Example Sentences

Don’t panic and make big investment decisions right now, because whatever might change in the next few years will likely recover over time.

From Salon

But in between smiles, their faces slip into mask-like panic, with eyes that are dead.

From New York Times

He averages about three hours of sleep a night and took anti-anxiety medication to try keep his regular panic attacks under control, he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Industry experts have told the BBC spray foam is an effective insulator if fitted properly, and urgent action is needed to stop panicked homeowners needlessly turning to "cowboy" removal companies.

From BBC

When Ahn first heard the news, she admitted “a sense of panic took over”.

From BBC

Related Words

• lose it
• overreact
• scare