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.
panicky
-
a word derived from
panic.
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.
The first act has a visceral, terrifying sequence with panicky close-ups of extras sprinting pell-mell toward the car.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
“You can feel panicky and paranoid. People come in worried that they’re dying,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026
In fact, cash levels remained unaltered from March at 4.3%, still some way off the panicky highs of 4.8% in April 2025 and 6.3% in October 2022.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 14, 2026
“Spending by higher income Americans coupled with lavish and almost panicky spending on AI infrastructure and resources is likely to drive the stock market through the end of the year,” she said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2025
She was hurrying, panicky, wearing her wig, which she hardly wore these days, and she had hastily put it on because it was lopsided on her head.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
