panic

1 of 3

adjective

pan·​ic ˈpa-nik How to pronounce panic (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or resembling the mental or emotional state believed induced by the god Pan
panic fear
2
: of, relating to, or arising from a panic
panic buying
panic selling
a panic retreat
3
: of or relating to the god Pan
Panic rites

panic

2 of 3

noun

1
a
: a sudden overpowering fright
also : acute, extreme anxiety
b
: a sudden unreasoning terror often accompanied by mass flight
widespread panic in the streets
c
: a sudden widespread fright concerning financial affairs that results in a depression of values caused by extreme measures for protection of property (such as securities)
2
dated slang : someone or something that is very funny : riot
panicky adjective

panic

3 of 3

verb

panicked ˈpa-nikt How to pronounce panic (audio) ; panicking

transitive verb

1
: to affect with panic
2
: to cause to laugh uproariously
panic an audience with a gag

intransitive verb

: to be affected with panic

Did you know?

Panic comes to us from French panique, which in turn derives from Greek panikos, meaning literally "of Pan." Pan is the pipe-playing, nymph-chasing Greek god of fertility, pastures, flocks, and shepherds. (His name is a Doric contraction of paon, meaning "pasturer.") He also has a rather dark side - his shout is said to have instilled fear in the giants fighting the gods, and the Greeks believed him responsible for causing the Persians to flee in terror at the battle of Marathon. Panic entered our language first as an adjective suggesting the mental or emotional state that Pan was said to induce. The adjective first appeared in print at the beginning of the 17th century, and the noun followed about a century later.

Choose the Right Synonym for panic

fear, dread, fright, alarm, panic, terror, trepidation mean painful agitation in the presence or anticipation of danger.

fear is the most general term and implies anxiety and usually loss of courage.

fear of the unknown

dread usually adds the idea of intense reluctance to face or meet a person or situation and suggests aversion as well as anxiety.

faced the meeting with dread

fright implies the shock of sudden, startling fear.

fright at being awakened suddenly

alarm suggests a sudden and intense awareness of immediate danger.

view the situation with alarm

panic implies unreasoning and overmastering fear causing hysterical activity.

the news caused widespread panic

terror implies the most extreme degree of fear.

immobilized with terror

trepidation adds to dread the implications of timidity, trembling, and hesitation.

raised the subject with trepidation

Examples of panic in a Sentence

Noun He was in a panic when he realized how late he was. There's no reason to get into a panic. The villagers fled in panic from the approaching army. The crowd was in a state of panic. She has panic attacks whenever she has to speak in public. Verb If something goes wrong, don't panic. The deer, panicked by the headlights, ran in front of the car.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The ruling and its aftermath left thousands of people who are currently undergoing IVF treatment in a devastating limbo, adding even more stress, panic, and heartbreak to what is already a grueling endeavor. As Told To Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 24 Feb. 2024 But while Netflix course-corrected that winter — and again following an even worse earnings report that spring — what execs at the company did not do was panic. Vulture, 26 Jan. 2024 Comer is especially good at conveying a sense of genuine, if weirdly relaxed, panic. Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2024 The prevailing mood of the Kings fans inside the arena was not necessarily panic, but there was certainly angst. Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2023 When ChatGPT launched for free five months ago, the primary response among educators — including in the Bay Area — was panic. Jill Tucker, San Francisco Chronicle, 23 Apr. 2023 Some people think the real poison is panic. Dan Zak, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2023 Still, the first length was panic. BostonGlobe.com, 27 Feb. 2023 These are hardly panic-worthy numbers. Neil Irwin, New York Times, 8 July 2021
Noun
Social movements, mass panic, and religious fervor proliferate. Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 Green described how men came to New York from all over the country to ask for loans during the panic of 1907. Bywill Daniel, Fortune, 17 Mar. 2024 Her guidance is less about panic, and more about planning ahead—and simply focusing on our roles as parents instead of thinking fast to come up with an answer. Melissa Willets, Parents, 16 Mar. 2024 At first, Carano was in a panic about the pandemic. Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 That wasn’t our clinic, but the move sent us into a total panic. Spencer Goidel, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2024 Many of the victims died when they were run over by trucks in the ensuing panic, according to one account. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 That is a growing challenge in our digital world where both the means and content of communications can create panic and distrust. Chuck Brooks, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Telling you a few days in advance gives you the opportunity to forget it by Sunday morning and wake up in a panic anyway. Aj Willingham, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024
Verb
Suzy Cain began to panic when Jessica was still not home at 2:30 in the morning. Claire Lempert, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2024 Where a lesser friend might have panicked, Eden keeps her calm, honoring her (hungry) pal’s wish to skip the hospital in favor of a fancy restaurant. Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024 Being in such a situation is enough to cause any parent to panic. Anna Halkidis, Parents, 9 Mar. 2024 But don’t let that panic derail saving for retirement. Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024 But experts say there is no reason to panic about gas prices, at least not yet. Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 Hollywood isn't panicking about OpenAI's impressive new text-to-video generator just yet. Angela Yang, NBC News, 23 Feb. 2024 If that feels like a lot, don’t panic; research shows that as little as 30 to 60 minutes of exercise per week has a notable impact on blood pressure. Lauren Del Turco, SELF, 22 Feb. 2024 By 2023, his administration—panicked by Chinese inroads and rising gas prices—was trying to make that country Washington’s newest treaty ally instead. Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'panic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

French panique, from Greek panikos, literally, of Pan, from Pan

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

1780, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of panic was circa 1586

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Dictionary Entries Near panic

Cite this Entry

“Panic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/panic. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

panic

1 of 2 noun
pan·​ic ˈpan-ik How to pronounce panic (audio)
1
: a sudden overpowering fright especially without reasonable cause
also : extreme anxiousness
2
: a sudden widespread fright concerning financial affairs causing hurried selling and a sharp fall in prices
panic adjective
panicky
ˈpan-i-kē
adjective

panic

2 of 2 verb
panicked
-ikt
; panicking
: to affect or be affected with panic
Etymology

Noun

Greek panikon "fear caused by Pan, panic," from panikos "relating to the fear caused by Pan," literally, "of Pan," from Pan, name of a god of woods and shepherds

Word Origin
The ancient Greeks worshipped a god of pastures, flocks, and shepherds whom they named Pan. Pan was believed to be able to cause great fear at times. The people of Athens believed that it was Pan who had caused the Persians to flee in terror from the battle of Marathon. The Greek adjective panikos, literally meaning "of Pan," was used to describe the kind of sudden fear that Pan was thought to cause. The English word panic comes from Greek panikos.

Medical Definition

panic

1 of 2 noun
pan·​ic ˈpan-ik How to pronounce panic (audio)
1
: a sudden overpowering fright
also : acute extreme anxiety
2
: a sudden unreasoning terror often accompanied by mass flight
widespread panic in the streets

panic

2 of 2 verb
panicked -ikt How to pronounce panic (audio) ; panicking

transitive verb

: to affect with panic

intransitive verb

: to be affected with panic

More from Merriam-Webster on panic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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