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. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
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 Nonetheless, there appeared to be little panic, even as the skies started to turn gray. Corky Siemaszko, NBC News, 27 Sep. 2022 Cox Medical Center Branson in Missouri acknowledged in September that violence against its workers had tripled over the past year, prompting the facility to give employees panic buttons. Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2022 When it was reported a few hours before Friday's game that Xavier would likely be without several key players, the reaction on social media was largely panic. Adam Baum, The Enquirer, 28 Nov. 2021
Noun
And consumers might make things worse with panic buying. NBC News, 16 Sep. 2023 What is now evident is that it was always conceived as a witch hunt, one that is blatantly reviving anti-Communist rhetoric—a Marxist, in the library!—redolent of the anti-gay panic that was entwined within the twentieth century’s infamous Red Scare in the United States. Melissa Gira Grant, The New Republic, 15 Sep. 2023 Its depiction of gore and violence led to a nationwide moral panic that ended in 1993 with the U.S. Senate threatening government regulation of video games, and that in turn created a national standard for age and content ratings for video games. Gene Park, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023 Investors have endured their share of financial panics over recent years, including a trio of regional-bank collapses in 2023. WSJ, 15 Sep. 2023 During the drive, Allen-Bookman called a friend in a panic and told her they were being chased by the ex-girlfriend of the male driver, according to Acker. Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2023 In the latter half of 1977, the community was gripped by panic. Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2023 There were no fatalistic warnings, no instructions about the need for panic or extreme action. Katie Weeman, Scientific American, 5 Sep. 2023 There’s ‘no cause for panic,’ CEO of Burning Man says as crowd remains stuck in muddy venue The CEO of Burning Man said that the situation at the venue in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert was under control and far from alarming. Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 4 Sep. 2023
Verb
Booker explained why supporters of the Tide shouldn’t panic about the rocky start. Nick Alvarez | Nalvarez@al.com, al, 18 Sep. 2023 Boarding as a business opportunity That panic over faster boarding and the guarantee of an overhead compartment isn’t a bug for the airlines. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 16 Sep. 2023 In The Sky announced a new tour this spring, fans panicked. Patrick Lyons, Spin, 15 Sep. 2023 Knotts panicked, yelling that police and the government were trying to kill him. Kelli Smith, Dallas News, 14 Sep. 2023 But at the end of the day, Washington should not panic. Dominic Tierney, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2023 Many who panicked and attempted to escape mid-maelstrom were stranded far from their camps, either forced to abandon their vehicles and walk back, or be adopted by nearby camps until they could be extracted. Morena Duwe, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2023 The best way to survive a rip current is to not panic or attempt to swim directly toward shore but rather swim parallel to shore or tread water until one is naturally pulled out of the rip current, according to the Red Cross. Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2023 Being close to someone might not be worth the feelings of anxiety, overwhelm, or even panic. Jacqueline Tempera, Women's Health, 3 Sep. 2023 See More

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 27 Sep. 2023.

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

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