panic-stricken

American

[pan-ik-strik-uhn] / ˈpæn ɪkˌstrɪk ən /

Also panic-struck

adjective

overcome with, characterized by, or resulting from fear, panic, or the like.

panic-stricken parents looking for their child; a panic-stricken phone call.

panic-stricken British

adjective

affected by panic

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of panic-stricken

First recorded in 1795–1805

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.

Investors waking up to volatile and panic-stricken markets on Monday may be surprised to discover that gold is now in negative territory for the year after a painful bout of profit-taking and deleveraging.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

Prosecutors argued that this left his poorly trained, panic-stricken crew effectively useless amid the fire, which possibly originated in a trash can sometime after 2:35 a.m.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

“Are you panic-stricken? Are your eyes wide? Do you look furtive?” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 11, 2025

“I heard this panic-stricken shout that caught my attention and then the tree came down.”

From BBC • Aug. 16, 2024

I, panic-stricken, buttoning my shirt as fast as my numb fingers would go, started to say something but he made a quick, shushing gesture at me with his hand.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023