panic

UK: /ˈpænɪk/ US: /ˈpænɪk/ ,(pan′ik)

Inflections of 'panic' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

panics

v 3rd person singular

panicking

v pres p

panicked

v past

panicked

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

pan•ic¹ /ˈpænɪk/   n., adj., v., -icked, -ick•ing. 
n. 

1. Psychiatry a sudden, great fear:
   [uncountable] Panic seized the demonstrators when the police attacked.
2. Psychiatry an instance, outbreak, or period of such fear:
   [countable] A sudden panic seized him.
3. Business [countable] a sudden widespread fear that the economy is in trouble, causing stock values to fall and some banks to fail.
4. Slang Terms [Informal.] someone or something considered very funny:
   [countable* usually singular;

   usually: a + ~]

   That new show is a panic; we were gasping from laughing so hard.

adj. [before a noun]

5. of, relating to, or caused by panic:
   panic selling of stocks.

v. 

6. to (cause to) have a feeling of panic: [no object]
   He panicked at the thought of asking her for a date.
   [~ + object]
   Something must have panicked the burglars, because they dropped the loot and ran.

pan•ick•y, adj. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

pan•ic¹  (pan′ik), n., adj., v., -icked, -ick•ing. 
n. 

1. Psychiatry a sudden overwhelming fear, with or without cause, that produces hysterical or irrational behavior, and that often spreads quickly through a group of persons or animals.
2. Psychiatry an instance, outbreak, or period of such fear.
3. Business [Finance.] a sudden widespread fear concerning financial affairs leading to credit contraction and widespread sale of securities at depressed prices in an effort to acquire cash.
4. Slang Terms someone or something that is considered hilariously funny:
   The comedian was an absolute panic.

adj. 

5. of the nature of, caused by, or indicating panic:
   A wave of panic buying shook the stock market.
6. (of fear, terror, etc.) suddenly destroying the self-control and impelling to some frantic action.
7. (cap.) of or pertaining to the god Pan.

v.t. 

8. to affect with panic;
   terrify and cause to flee or lose self-control.
9. Slang Terms to keep (an audience or the like) highly amused.

v.i. 

10. to be stricken with panic;
    become frantic with fear:
    The herd panicked and stampeded.

• Greek Panikós of Pan; see -ic
• French
• earlier panique 1595–1605

pan′ick•y, adj. 
Synonyms

• 1. alarm. See terror. 

pan•ic²  (pan′ik), n. 

1. Plant Biology Also called pan′ic grass′. any grass of the genus Panicum, many species of which bear edible grain.
2. Plant Biology the grain.

• Latin pānicum a kind of millet
• late Middle English 1375–1425

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

panic / ˈpænɪk/ noun

1. a sudden overwhelming feeling of terror or anxiety, esp one affecting a whole group of people
2. (modifier) of or resulting from such terror: panic measures

verb ( -ics, -icking, -icked)

1. to feel or cause to feel panic

Etymology: 17th Century: from French panique, from New Latin pānicus, from Greek panikos emanating from Pan, considered as the source of irrational fear

ˈpanicky adjective

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Panic / ˈpænɪk/ adjective

1. of or relating to the god Pan