panic

[ pan-ik ]

/ ˈpæn ɪk /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR panic ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

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.

adjective

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.

(initial capital letter) of or relating to the god Pan.

verb (used with object), pan·icked, pan·ick·ing.

to affect with panic; terrify and cause to flee or lose self-control.

Slang. to keep (an audience or the like) highly amused.

verb (used without object), pan·icked, pan·ick·ing.

to be stricken with panic; become frantic with fear: The herd panicked and stampeded.

Nearby words

Origin of panic

1595–1605; earlier panique < French < Greek Panikós of Pan; see -ic

SYNONYMS FOR panic

1. alarm. See terror.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR panic ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formspan·ick·y, adjectiveun·pan·ick·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for panicked

Panicked, I reached out to hoarding experts, who often refer to any kind of obsessive digital collecting as “infomania.”
I’m a Digital Hoarder|Lizzie Crocker|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At hospitals across the nation, panicked Americans with flu symptoms began convincing themselves they were next.
Ebola Panic Is Worse Than the Disease|Abby Haglage|October 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then he panicked and took her body somewhere and burnt it on fire!
Deep Thoughts from War Machine's Sexist, Racist Prison Blog|Melissa Leon|August 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The crowd began to lurch violently, as small motions rippled out into panicked attempts to break away.
The War Inside: Terrorism & Teenhood in ‘No Dawn Without Darkness’|Hugh Ryan|August 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The signs of the panicked flight almost three weeks ago were apparent everywhere in town.
Who Is Behind Gaza's Mass Execution?|Jesse Rosenfeld|August 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They, so he said, shot the mayor and an old man of 80 years and another; so if that is true the people just panicked!
Letters of Lt.-Col. George Brenton Laurie|George Brenton Laurie
Just thirty days now, since the scout ship Leo's discovery and the panicked dash for home with the warning.
Alien Offer|Al Sevcik
The light-headedness was back, and I slumped in my chair, tried to control my breathing, the panicked thumping of my heart.
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom|Cory Doctorow
The warriors in the square—what was left of them—had panicked.
Despoilers of the Golden Empire|Gordon Randall Garrett
And the German engineers left it a little too late; they panicked at the last and destroyed wholesale, but without intelligence.
Sketches of the East Africa Campaign|Robert Valentine Dolbey

British Dictionary definitions for panicked

panic

/ (ˈpænɪk) /

noun

a sudden overwhelming feeling of terror or anxiety, esp one affecting a whole group of people

(modifier) of or resulting from such terrorpanic measures

verb -ics, -icking or -icked

to feel or cause to feel panic

Derived Formspanicky, adjective

Word Origin for panic

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

Panic

/ (ˈpænɪk) /

adjective

of or relating to the god Pan

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

Word Origin and History for panicked

panic

n.1

"mass terror," 1708, from earlier adjective (c.1600, modifying fear, terror, etc.), from French panique (15c.), from Greek panikon, literally "pertaining to Pan," the god of woods and fields, who was the source of mysterious sounds that caused contagious, groundless fear in herds and crowds, or in people in lonely spots.

In the sense of "panic, fright" the Greek word is short for panikon deima "panic fright," from neuter of Panikos "of Pan." Meaning "widespread apprehension about financial matters" is first recorded 1757. Panic button in figurative sense is first recorded 1955, the literal sense apparently is from parachuting. Panic attack attested by 1970.

panic

n.2

type of grass, early 15c., from Old French panic "Italian millet," from Latin panicum "panic grass, kind of millet," from panus "ear of millet, a swelling" (cf. panocha).

panic

1827, "to afflict with panic," from panic (n.). Intransitive sense of "to lose one's head, get into a panic" is from 1902. Related: Panicked; panicking.

Medicine definitions for panicked

panic

[ păn′ĭk ]

n.

A sudden overpowering feeling of terror.

Related formspan′ic v.

Idioms and Phrases with panicked

panic

see push the panic button.

panic

noun

adjective

verb (used with object), pan·icked, pan·ick·ing.

verb (used without object), pan·icked, pan·ick·ing.

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Origin of panic

Examples from the Web for panicked

panic

noun

verb -ics, -icking or -icked

Word Origin for panic

Panic

adjective

panic

panic

panic

panic

n.

panic