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.
an instance, outbreak, or period of such fear.
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.
Slang. someone or something that is considered hilariously funny.
The comedian was an absolute panic.
of the nature of, caused by, or indicating panic.
A wave of panic buying shook the stock market.
(of fear, terror, etc.) suddenly destroying the self-control and impelling to some frantic action.
Panic, of or relating to the god Pan.
to affect with panic; terrify and cause to flee or lose self-control.
Slang. to keep (an audience or the like) highly amused.
Also called panic grass. any grass of the genus Panicum, many species of which bear edible grain.
the grain.
a sudden overwhelming feeling of terror or anxiety, esp one affecting a whole group of people
(modifier) of or resulting from such terror
panic measures
See terror.
First recorded in 1580–90; earlier panique, from French, from Greek Panikós “of Pan”; see Pan, -ic
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English panik, from Latin pānicum “Italian millet”
To panic is to become filled with fear and anxiety. Someone in a panic is totally freaking out. Have you ever heard someone say "Don't panic"? That's easier said than done. People panic when they lose control over themselves because of fear, stress, or danger. A pilot who runs into turbulence and then flees from the cockpit has panicked. A surgeon who makes a mistake might panic for a second, before chilling out and helping the patient. It's hard to do a good job when you panic. Panicking is pretty much the opposite of relaxing.
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There’s even a rooftop scene that’s a homage to Al Pacino’s first leading film role, in “The Panic in Needle Park.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026
Mikel Arteta was doing the rounds consoling his devastated Arsenal players when a giant banner was unfurled in front of him at Etihad Stadium, emblazoned with the words: "Panic on the streets of London".
From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026
Panic in the oil market has calmed down for now, with prices for crude pulling back from the week’s highs near $120 a barrel over the past two trading sessions.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 10, 2026
Appeared in the March 7, 2026, print edition as 'A Friday Economic Panic Attack'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026
“Yeah. Anxiety. Panic attacks. The works. I’m an old pro.”
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
