panic Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
    terror; affright.
  2. noun sudden mass fear and anxiety over anticipated events
    scare.
    • panic in the stock market
    • a war scare
    • a bomb scare led them to evacuate the building
  3. verb be overcome by a sudden fear
    • The students panicked when told that final exams were less than a week away
  4. verb cause sudden fear in or fill with sudden panic
    • The mere thought of an isolation cell panicked the prisoners

WordNet

Pan"ic noun
Etymology
L. panicum.
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) A plant of the genus Panicum; panic grass; also, the edible grain of some species of panic grass.
Pan"ic adjective
Etymology
Gr. of or pertaining to Pan, to whom the causing of sudden fright was ascribed: cf. F. panique.
Definitions
  1. Extreme or sudden and causeless; unreasonable; -- said of fear or fright; as, panic fear, terror, alarm. "A panic fright." Dryden.
Pan"ic noun
Etymology
Gr. (with or without fear): cf. F. panigue. See Panic, a.
Definitions
  1. A sudden, overpowering fright; esp., a sudden and groundless fright; terror inspired by a trifling cause or a misapprehension of danger; as, the troops were seized with a panic; they fled in a panic.
  2. By extension: A sudden widespread fright or apprehension concerning financial affairs.

Webster 1913