panic
pan-ic · noun, verb, adjective
Definitions
noun, verb, adjective
- 1.
A sudden overwhelming feeling of fear or anxiety that prevents rational thought or action.
- 2.
To feel or cause to feel panic; to act in a frantic or fearful way.
- 3.
Relating to or characterized by panic.
- 4.
A widespread financial or economic alarm.
Phrases & expressions
- •panic attack — a sudden episode of intense anxiety with physical symptoms
- •panic button — an emergency control; also figuratively, the tendency to overreact
- •hit the panic button — to react in alarm, often prematurely
- •panic buying — purchasing large quantities of goods due to fear of shortage
- •in a panic — in a state of extreme fear or anxiety
Related words
Etymology
From French panique, from Greek panikos ("of Pan"), referring to Pan, the Greek god of woods and fields, who was believed to cause sudden terror in herds and crowds.