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.
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panic
1 American
[pan-ik]
/ ˈpæn ɪk /
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.
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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.
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Panic, of or relating to the god Pan.
verb (used with object)
-
panics,
present (3rd person singular)
-
panicked,
past participle, past
-
panicking
present participle
-
to affect with panic; terrify and cause to flee or lose self-control.
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Slang. to keep (an audience or the like) highly amused.
verb (used without object)
-
panics,
present (3rd person singular)
-
panicked,
past participle, past
-
panicking
present participle
panic
2
American
[pan-ik]
/ ˈpæn ɪk /
noun
-
Also called panic grass. any grass of the genus Panicum, many species of which bear edible grain.
-
the grain.
panic
1
British
/ ˈpænɪk /
noun
-
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
verb
Panic
2
British
/ ˈpænɪk /
adjective
panic
Idioms
Synonym Usage
See terror.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
panicsimple
-
panicssimple
-
have panickedperfect
-
has panickedperfect
-
am panickingprogressive
-
are panickingprogressive
-
is panickingprogressive
-
have been panickingperfect progressive
-
has been panickingperfect progressive
Past
-
panickedsimple
-
had panickedperfect
-
was panickingprogressive
-
were panickingprogressive
-
had been panickingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of panic1
First recorded in 1580–90; earlier panique, from French, from Greek Panikós “of Pan”; see Pan, -ic
Origin of panic2
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English panik, from Latin pānicum “Italian millet”
Explanation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing panic
Emotions on Display
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You Name It: Eponyms
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Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 1
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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.
See Examples For:
While US President Donald Trump voiced opposition to the remarks and House Speaker Mike Johnson said "we don't need everybody to panic right now", traders sold off their tech holdings Monday.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
The negative drumbeat continued as the week stretched on, and panic from some corners of Silicon Valley spilled into the mainstream.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
“We don’t need everyone to panic right now.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
They were smart too, and that experience and ability not to panic goes a long way in football in situations like the one City faced following Phil Foden's early red card.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Akira tried to tamp down the panic rising inside her.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
They include Welsh groups Super Furry Animals and Panic Shack, as well as Loose Articles and Mogwai, with the latter appearing as a sponsor on the shirt worn by Chatten at Reading.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
Then, finally, came the devastating Panic of 1907, when the market crashed 30%, losing 10% in October alone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Panic has set in among some who reportedly find themselves screaming in committee meetings, “We’re screwed!”
From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026
“Between Panic and Paradise,” Eileen Cowin’s penetrating retrospective at LACMA, begins in the present, with large, recent color photographs and her newest work, a stirring video.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Oh, Shun, you scarce can think of the Panic this Word occasioned.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
She panics on red carpets and says interviews make her nervous, although she certainly doesn’t seem it today.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
While they fight over custody she panics and plans to run away with Nino.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Until the railroad boom of the 18th century’s second half, the U.S. was actually lagging the U.K., owing to major panics in 1819 and 1837.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 3, 2026
Throughout the 1800s and early 1900s, the federal government stepped in repeatedly during banking panics to stabilize the system.
From Salon ● Apr. 28, 2026
If she panics, she’ll forget to hold on.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
His home isn’t oceanfront, so he’s not too panicked about the upcoming winter, but he will be prepared for likely flooding, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Raging at another exit, raging that when the chips were down too many of his fellow players panicked and allowed themselves to be overrun, raging at professional pride being trampled underfoot for all to see.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
I point this out because investors panicked earlier this week as the bottom appeared to drop out of the market — even if temporarily.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026
Lifesaving Association warns prospective lifeguards that “a panicked victim, desperate for buoyant support, is a very real threat to an approaching rescuer.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Bobby wasn’t panicked, but he was decidedly uneasy.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
When it happens, and it can - the flight can be cancelled, or the train is delayed, there is so much traffic, I don't want the players and staff panicking.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
“I guess I should have said, ‘bond traders can stop panicking when Scott Bessent starts panicking.’”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
"We were here at home panicking a little, in our bodies, my arms were still shaking," she said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
I recounted the incident to my therapist, panicking at the prospect of a “date.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Fox wouldn’t stop touching her amulet, and Talis wouldn’t stop making bad jokes, which was what they always did when they were panicking but didn’t want Seven to know.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
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.
