PANIC-STRICKEN Synonyms: 102 Similar and Opposite Words

panic-stricken

adjective

Definition of panic-stricken

as in frightened

too overcome with panic to think or act normally The panic-stricken horses crashed through the door of the burning barn.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of panic-stricken 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for panic-stricken

Adjective

Hilton’s sister, Barbara Giarraffa, frightened fans and TikTok moderators were among those who called authorities.

— Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Parents at evacuation centers in the village said many children were afraid to return indoors and woke up frightened whenever aftershocks rattled the island.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of frightened

Adjective

Yohanna Embu, a resident of Sikka, a regency in East Nusa Tenggara, said a number of buildings were damaged by the strong shaking and panicked people ran to higher ground.

— Yacob Herin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Videos posted to social media showed buildings collapsing and panicked residents running and screaming, as dust filled the sky.

— Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of panicked

Adjective

During the attack, terrified students huddled together under their desks, sobbing as gunshots rang out nearby, video filmed inside a classroom and verified by CNN showed.

— Helen Regan, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
At a news conference, Twin Falls police released dramatic surveillance video that showed terrified employees diving for cover and shielding one another.

— Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of terrified

Adjective

Stokes was scared to be seen in public talking about the case, worried about poor treatment from law enforcement and the potential for retribution.

— CBS News, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Hospitals and healthcare workers are already reporting growing staffing concerns, as many workers are scared to leave their homes for fear of being targeted by ICE.

— Nancy Hagans, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of scared

Browse Nearby Words

panics

panic-stricken

panjandrum

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Panic-stricken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/panic-stricken. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of panic-stricken

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

expeditious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes