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

The introduction of the car, co-designed by former Apple design guru Jony Ive, got widely panned on social media and drew unfavorable comparisons to Nissan’s Leaf, which has a list price around $30,000.

From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026

And who can forget Kevin Costner’s “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” being almost universally panned six weeks before its June 2024 drop?

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

Fan groups have panned plans to charge $150 per person for a short roundtrip to the New Jersey stadium near New York that will host the soccer tournament's final match on July 19.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

No wonder television cameras panned in on concerned expressions on the faces of Spurs chief executive officer Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange as they looked on from The Stadium Of Light's directors' box.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

He could speak with equal passion about the Polish elections and which movies Roger Ebert had panned and why.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• scenic