panic

1 of 4

adjective (1)

pan·​ic ˈpa-nik 

1

: of, relating to, or arising from a panic

panic buying

panic selling

a panic response

2

: of, relating to, or resembling a mental or emotional state (such as fear) that is extreme, sudden, and often groundless

… the courage to think calmly and rationally … and to control the impulse of panic fear or panic rage.

—Bertrand Russell

—originally used in allusion to the god Pan, who was believed to cause such a state

3

: of or relating to the god Pan

Panic rites

panic

2 of 4

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

ˈpa-ni-kē 

adjective

panic

3 of 4

verb

panicked ˈpa-nikt  ; 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

panicky

4 of 4

adjective (2)

pan·​icky ˈpanə̇kē 

-ki

sometimes -er/-est

1

: characterized by or resulting from panic

moments of panicky terror at the beginning of each attack

—R. H. Newman

: groundlessly or extremely fearful

became panicky as the snow deepened

—G. R. Stewart

2

: inclined to panic

panicky sheep

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.

Synonyms of panic

Noun

• fear
• anxiety
• fearfulness
• dread

Verb

• scare
• frighten
• terrify
• startle

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

But, when a candidate runs a lean, community-first campaign without corporate PACs and consultants, the response from party insiders is panic. —Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 20 May 2026

What the Data Actually Says The right response to all of this is not panic. —Steven Wolfe Pereira, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2026

Noun

In my experience, real financial strength often includes predictable income, diversified sources, manageable obligations, proper reserves and enough liquidity to handle timing gaps without panic. —Michael Shribman, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026

And the decision to ban them from taking up work was made by the government of Tony Blair, in response to a moral panic about asylum seekers taking people’s jobs which had been whipped up by the Daily Mail and other newspapers. —Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 12 June 2026

Verb

Ashley’s impulsive moves cause Paula to panic, too. —Erin Qualey, Vulture, 10 June 2026

Parents were rightly panicked, and fierce pressure was levied on the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. —Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 9 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (1) and Noun

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

and Adjective (2)

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

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

Phrases Containing panic

• panic attack
• panic button
• panic disorder
• panic grass
• panic-stricken
• push/hit/press the panic button

Rhymes for panic

• bannock
• laennec
• manic
• stannic
• tannic
• aldermanic
• inorganic
• magellanic
• messianic
• oceanic
• pozzolanic
• talismanic

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Kids Definition

panic

1 of 2 noun

pan·​ic ˈpan-ik 

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 

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  ; panicking

transitive verb

: to affect with panic

intransitive verb

: to be affected with panic