panned

¹ American  

[pand] / pænd /

adjective

1. Informal. criticized severely; given a sharply negative review.

   Despite being a universally panned show, the series was given a second season.

2. (of gravel, sand, etc.) washed in a pan to separate gold or other heavy, valuable metal.

   The panned gravel contained 1 part gold per 500,000.

3. (of gold or other heavy, valuable metal) separated from gravel, sand, etc., by washing in a pan.

   The panned gold was approximately 22 karat, which is generally a bit too soft for a wedding ring.

4. baked or cooked in a pan.

   This very stretchy dough works best as a panned bread to support the shape—as a freeform loaf, it just flattens out.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of pan.

panned ² American  

[pand] / pænd /

adjective

1. photographed or filmed while rotating the camera vertically or horizontally so as to keep a moving subject in view or to record a wide view of an extensive area.

   We especially love the panned shot of our whole family from the photo session at the reunion.

2. (of a camera) moved or rotated vertically or horizontally to keep a moving subject in view or to record a wide view of an area.

   The flight of the startled duck was captured really well using a panned camera.

3. Audio. (of a signal output) directed to one of the speakers in a sound system, to a point between speakers, or, especially, through a continuum from one side to the other to create the impression that the source is moving.

   Any panned instruments will seem more widely spaced than normal, and reverbs and delays will seem wider and deeper.

   The panned bass seems like a strange choice, but overall the mix was pretty great.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of pan.

Etymology

Origin of panned¹

First recorded in 1865–70; pan ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; pan ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Origin of panned²

First recorded in 1945–50; pan ² ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; pan ² ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

panned

Disney has once again taken one of its biggest animated hits of recent years and turned it into a live-action remake - but the new take on 2016's Moana has been panned by most critics.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

What the Celtics got back was the oft-injured 36-year-old Paul George and a pair of first-round picks: a trade widely panned as one of the most disastrous in recent NBA memory.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

The sentences handed down in the case were widely panned as extreme, considering the actual actions of the defendants and their lack of the sort of criminal records that would typically result in harsher sentencing.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026

My eyes watered as the camera panned over his arm-in-arm players as they shouted the line, “Think, o beloved homeland! That heaven/gave you a soldier in each son.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

He panned a faded striped sofa on the sidewalk with a free sign, a Giants pennant fluttering on a rooftop deck.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Related Words

• scenic