panic

Definitions (2)

1nouna sudden strong feeling of fear that makes it hard to think calmly or act clearly

There was panic in the crowd when the lights went out.

She felt a wave of panic before the exam started.

The loud bang caused brief panic in the street.

2verbto suddenly become very frightened and lose the ability to think calmly

Don't panic if you make a mistake.

He panicked when he saw smoke in the kitchen.

People sometimes panic under pressure.

Idioms & expressions

panic attack, a short period of very intense fear with strong body reactions like a racing heart or trouble breathing

in a panic, feeling so frightened or rushed that it is hard to think clearly

panic over, to become very upset or frightened about something

Word Origin

Language

Greek

Original word

Panikós

Originally meant

connected with Pan, the wild god whose presence was believed to cause sudden fear

Background

The word comes from the name Pan, a god in ancient Greek stories linked with wild places. People believed that sudden unexplained fear in lonely places came from him, and that idea later became the modern word for overwhelming fear.

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