noun
panic
PA-nihk
noun
1
A sudden overwhelming feeling of fear that makes it hard to think clearly.
"Panic spread through the crowd when the fire alarm went off."
"He felt a wave of panic before walking on stage."
verb
1
To be overcome with sudden fear, or to cause someone to feel that way.
"Don't panic — we still have time to catch the flight."
"The strange noise panicked the horses."
2
Of a computer, to crash suddenly and stop functioning.
"The server panicked and rebooted itself in the middle of the night."
How to Use Panic
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSudden intense fear that overrides clear thinking, or to be struck by it.
Common pairings
panic attack
don't panic
mass panic
push the panic button
Word Forms
more Panic comparative, panicked past tense, panics plural, panics singular, most Panic superlative
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “panic”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____ spread through the crowd when the fire alarm went off.
Etymology
From Greek panikós, "of Pan" — the god Pan was believed to cause sudden, unexplained terror in crowds and animals in lonely places.