panic-stricken

adjective

pan·​ic-strick·​en ˈpa-nik-ˌstri-kən 

: overcome with panic

Examples of panic-stricken in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For the first time in his life, the great shark couldn’t swim freely and, panic-stricken, bolted clear of his world and there was only emptiness, and his tail and pectoral fins were helpless in the void. — Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025

These are not the first crew members to be panic-stricken by a stray rat today. — Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 May 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1766, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for panic-stricken

• chicken
• likin
• quicken
• sicken
• stricken
• thicken
• indican

Kids Definition

panic-stricken

adjective

pan·​ic-strick·​en

ˈpan-ik-ˌstrik-ən

: overcome with panic