panic1 nounpanic2 verb
panicpan‧ic1 /ˈpænɪk/ ●●○ S3 noun 
WORD ORIGINpanic1
Origin:
1600-1700 French panique ‘caused by panic’, from Greek panikos, from Pan ancient Greek god of nature, who caused great fearEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- A bomb exploded on the subway, causing panic among rush-hour commuters.
- Amid the panic and confusion, police somehow managed to maintain order.
- Baker had lost a lot of money during the last stock market panic.
- Every April 15th, there's the usual panic of people trying to file their taxes on time.
- I could see the look of panic on her face.
- She got into a real panic when she thought she'd lost the tickets.
- Shoppers fled the street in panic after two bombs exploded in central London.
- The panic-stricken crowd pushed through the exit, and 10 people were crushed to death.
- There was a sudden panic and everyone started rushing towards the door.
- At best, we'd be a laughing stock; at worst, there'd be panic throughout the country.
- I stared round at the dark unfamiliar buildings in panic.
- Now, the panic was rolling like a giant wave to the United States.
- Then there was panic that he'd be released today, when we have a life sentence to bare.
- There would be no panic while he was in charge.
- Though winded, the impact seemed to startle him into a state of panic.
- When Fred started there, however, with the economy reeling from the panic of 1873, the business was probably smaller.
THESAURUS
a feeling of being frightened: · He was trembling with fear.· Fear of failure should not stop you trying.
a feeling of great fear, because you think that something terrible is about to happen: · She let out a scream of pure terror.
a sudden feeling of fear, or a situation that makes you feel this: · My body was shaking with fright.· You gave me a fright!· He’s had a bit of fright, that’s all.
a sudden feeling of fear or nervousness that makes you unable to think clearly or behave sensibly: · She was in such a panic that she hardly knew what she was doing!· There were scenes of sheer panic immediately following the bomb blast.
a feeling of fear or worry which shows in your voice or behaviour, because you think something bad might happen: · When I mentioned her name, he looked up at me in alarm.· The streets were calm and there was no sign of alarm.
a feeling that something bad or unpleasant might happen although there is no obvious reason why it should: · She felt the same sense of foreboding she had before her father died.
a permanent strong unreasonable fear of something: · I had a phobia about going to the dentist.
Longman Language Activatorthe feeling of being frightened the feeling you have when you are very frightened, or the thought that something very unpleasant will happen: · The boy's eyes were full of fear.fear of: · Fears of a recession have wiped billions of dollars off share values.· fear of flying· My fear of the dentist goes back to when I was a child.fear that: · There was always the fear that he might never return.do something in fear (=do something because you feel fear): · I glanced around in fear. Was someone following me?do something in fear of your life (=do something because you think you are going to be killed): · People fled in fear of their lives, as mud began to pour down the mountainside.shake/tremble/go white etc with fear: · Her hands were shaking with fear.frozen/sick with fear: · The boat had gone. We stood frozen with fear, staring at the sea.hopes and fears (=the things that you hope will happen and the things that you are frightened will happen): · On New Year's Eve we come together, and share our hopes and fears for the coming year.
a very strong feeling of fear when you think that something very bad is going to happen to you, especially that you will be killed: · Denver burst from the room, terror in her eyes.· The men on the quivering, battered boat were mad with terror.· Their faces were white, and their eyes were filled with terror.in terror (=because you are very frightened): · Shots were fired, and the children fled in terror.sheer terror (=very great terror): · I will never forget the look of sheer terror on her face.terror-stricken (=feeling terror): · Terror-stricken refugees fled across the border.
a strong feeling of shock and fear that you have when you see something terrible happen, or when you think of something terrible: · Jocasta turned white, a look of horror on her face. in horror: · The crowd watched in horror as the plane hit the ground and burst into flames.to somebody's horror (=making someone feel very frightened): · He suddenly realized to his horror that the brakes weren't working.· To his horror, PC Kelly saw a handgun protruding from the man's coat.
a sudden, strong feeling of fear when you are in a dangerous situation, that often makes you do things that are not sensible because you cannot think clearly: · There was a sudden panic and everyone started rushing towards the door.in panic: · Shoppers fled the street in panic after two bombs exploded in central London.get into a panic/be thrown into a panic: · She got into a real panic when she thought she'd lost the tickets.panic-stricken (=feeling panic): · The panic-stricken crowd pushed through the exit, and 10 people were crushed to death.
a feeling of fear because you think something bad is going to happen although you do not have any real reason for thinking this: · "Jeanie, I have to go away," he said, his voice full of foreboding.a feeling/sense of foreboding: · As they waited at the airfield, Sara had the same feeling of foreboding that she had felt before her father died.· He had a sudden sense of foreboding. Something was wrong, very wrong.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYverbs
We all made a mad dash for the door.
· When the shooting started, there was panic.
· The earthquake caused widespread panic.
· He felt a mild panic.
· There’s no need to get into a panic.
· The innocent question threw her into a panic.
(=starts among a group of people)· Suddenly, everything went dark and panic broke out.
(=starts)· Before panic could set in, she realised that the clock was fast.
formal (=happens after something else happens)· Panic ensued as people ran out of the burning building.
(=someone starts to feel panic)· She felt panic rising within her.
(=starts to affect more people in more places)· Panic spread as news of the invasion reached Paris.
adjectives· There was a big panic about the virus last year.
(=increasing panic)· She quickly packed a bag, trying all the time to control her mounting panic.
· A wave of total panic swept across her.
(=a very strong feeling of fear)· He ran to the library in blind panic.
· Florrie exclaimed in sudden panic: ‘I’ve left my bag on the bus!’
(=a slight feeling of panic)· There was a note of mild panic in her voice.
(=panic that does not last long)· Her momentary panic faded.
phrases· She was in a constant state of panic that he would carry out his threat.
· She looked out to sea with a rising sense of panic.
(=a feeling of panic that you suddenly have)· A sudden wave of panic overcame him.
· He had had a panic attack in the street.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES We all made a mad dash for the door.· We reached the medical centre with a sense of relief.
· The murders were clearly intended to spread terror.
· Howard, still in a state of shock, stared at Newman.
· A wave of relief washed over Harry.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· I grabbed a chair in a blind panic but heard Dad call out, telling me to put it down.· Not like shooting Sweet in a moment of blind panic.· The mist thickened and hid it, and I knew a moment's blind panic.· In that moment of almost blind panic, she doubted it.· Whoever was there was stalking her! Blind panic sent her off at a stumbling run.· That relaxed, even jokey, presence we offer you is at times a front for blind panic.· Even in a blind panic he knew better than to go for the tie.
· A financial panic ensued, as frantic as the earlier boom.· Lifeboats can contain a financial panic, but they can't solve this real-economy problem.· There was a period of comparative stagnation in the nineties and a brief interruption following the financial panic in 1907.· On Wednesday the authorities gave up the struggle against financial market panic and allowed the lira to find its own level.· Who is the lender of last resort stopping financial panics and capital outflows from bringing the system down?· They stopped coming sometime in 1857, after the financial panic.· The last half of the twentieth century has also seen its share of small and large financial panics.
· Acid House comes a close second to football fans in the tabloids' top ten of moral panics.· This has led to the creation of a moral panic on campuses.· Indeed notions of moral indignation, moral panic or moral conflict are not used in this perspective at all.· Societies appear subject, every now and then, to periods of moral panic.
· Tales of bravery from the M-Four crash. Sheer panic: Accused describes the barn fire that killed twin sisters.· Wild speculation, low margin requirements and sheer panic triggered the free fall that set off the Great Depression.· She knew panic when she heard it, and sheer panic was in Philip Arbuthnot's voice.
· In a sudden panic he began to scramble down.· He looked down in a sudden panic.· Leonora fought down a sudden rush of panic.
NOUN· The panic attacks gave her the perfect excuse, as no blame could possibly be attributed to her.· I must confess to the odd panic attack every so often, though ... Now when was this memoir supposed to be in by?· Their recently acquired understanding very often prevents them from achieving a full-blown panic attack.· From an assessment point of view this information establishes a baseline record of frequency of panic attacks or other physical symptoms.· Hyperventilation and Anxiety Symptoms Symptoms of a panic attack initiated by adrenalin can never cause us to faint or be sick.· As he became more able to communicate effectively non-verbally, we realised Brian was experiencing panic attacks combined with periods of hypertension.· She's had the self-same panic attack before starting a one-woman show.· As she finished, she had another panic attack.
· Derby County chairman Brian Fearn has refused to push the panic button after Tranmere's 2-1 win.· She managed to push a silent panic button linked to the police station while doing so.· His talk is all of pre-programmed key pads, panic buttons and radio relays.· But when Tonia is due to jet in he hits the panic button and blitzes the housework.· But the Mobbs had a panic button in the house, and Mrs Mobbs set off the alarm.
· On the day before the price liberalization took effect there was a wave of panic buying.· Housewives started panic buying of toilet rolls.· There have also been several periods of panic buying triggered by rumours of taxation or currency reforms.· And although Hill-Wood assures them the cash is there, he insists there will be no panic buying.· There is panic buying of food, air tickets, train tickets, everything.
VERB· Excessive doses can cause panic, confusion, inability to sleep, hallucinations and paranoia.· In addition a 25 second burst of delta activity was seen that did not cause panic or disturbed behaviour.· The professionals involved were only too aware that in recalling women for further testing they were likely to cause a panic.· It can also cause panic and despair.· Those darts from midfield cause panic for defenders.· Moreover, because it occurs unexpectedly it may well cause a temporary panic.· The sudden and dramatic success of the London shop might have caused uproar and panic among the thirty-strong team in Carno.· I couldn't give them the reason yet without causing a large-scale panic.
· It's exactly at this moment that they feel panic and get into those messy situations with mistresses, divorces and remarriages.· Stepping back from the pantry, I realized I had not binged with that feeling of panic in years.· She was so powerfully aware of him that she could feel the ripples of panic beginning to spread.· Now, you feel true panic.· Liz replaced the receiver and tried to keep calm, but she could feel panic, fever, tears approaching.· In the past she had only to think of being in an enclosed space and she would feel panic rising within her.· For a moment she felt a surge of panic.· Maura felt panic building inside her.
· Then in a flash it dashes away as if fleeing in panic.· The Snotling unit is immediately broken and treated just like a unit broken in combat or fleeing following a failed panic test.
· She turns to take the wine and William has a split second to send a message of panic to Bella.· It also sent Smith into a panic.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1[countable usually singular, uncountable] a sudden strong feeling of fear or nervousness that makes you unable to think clearly or behave sensiblyin (a) panic- Suddenly the sound Swindon defence was at panic stations.
- I grabbed a chair in a blind panic but heard Dad call out, telling me to put it down.
- In that moment of almost blind panic, she doubted it.
- Not like shooting Sweet in a moment of blind panic.
- She bore him three children and he killed the children and her in a blind rage arranged by Hera.
- That relaxed, even jokey, presence we offer you is at times a front for blind panic.
- The mist thickened and hid it, and I knew a moment's blind panic.
- She held her breath on another quick dart of guilt.
- The words echoed unspoken in her brain, sending tiny darts of pain through her veins.
- He flew into a rage with him and brained him with his lute.
- I flew into a rage and quit.
- I was made to feel like a petulant child who has flown into a temper because his favorite toy was removed.
- Maclean immediately flew into a rage.
- Mary's natural tendency to fly into a temper probably did not increase their chances very much.
- Mitch was going to fly into a rage.
- The Collector had flown into a rage.
- Whenever Stewart showed signs of rejecting that outlook, Joe would fly into a rage.
- He caught me in a moment of weakness.
- I had a moment of panic.
- In a moment of madness Rosenoir kicked Alan Kernaghan as he lay on the ground.
- In a moment of weakness the President had accepted the invitation.
- It was a moment of madness.
- She rang the doorbell, listened to the silence within and felt a moment of panic.
- What mattered was that one of the legs had been used by the gang in a moment of panic.
- And why have governments in the region not pressed the panic button?
- Derby County chairman Brian Fearn has refused to push the panic button after Tranmere's 2-1 win.
- A 16-year-old girl works herself into a frenzy of grief for a friend killed by right-wing vigilantes.
- I could see at once he was working himself into a panic about it all.
- I knew I was working myself into a state, but I kept on staring at the picture of the dead girl.
- It was silly to work himself into a state like this.
- Make sure that the horse stays calm and does not work himself into a frenzy.
- You're working yourself into a state.
The children fled in panic. a feeling of sheer panic (=complete panic) She got into a panic when she couldn’t find the tickets. The whole nation is in a state of panic following the attacks. She suffers from terrible panic attacks.► see thesaurus at fear2[countable usually singular, uncountable] a situation in which people are suddenly made very anxious, and make quick decisions without thinking carefullypanic over/about the recent panic over the safety of baby milkpanic buying/selling a wave of panic selling in Hong Kong3[singular] especially British English a situation in which you have a lot to do and not much time to do it in: the usual last minute panic just before the deadline4panic stations British English a situation in which everyone is busy and anxious because something needs to be done urgently: It was panic stations here on Friday.COLLOCATIONSverbsthere was (a) panic· When the shooting started, there was panic.cause panic· The earthquake caused widespread panic.feel panic· He felt a mild panic.get into a panic· There’s no need to get into a panic.throw/send somebody into a panic· The innocent question threw her into a panic.panic breaks out (=starts among a group of people)· Suddenly, everything went dark and panic broke out.panic sets in (=starts)· Before panic could set in, she realised that the clock was fast.panic ensues formal (=happens after something else happens)· Panic ensued as people ran out of the burning building.panic rises within somebody (=someone starts to feel panic)· She felt panic rising within her.panic spreads (=starts to affect more people in more places)· Panic spread as news of the invasion reached Paris.adjectivesa big/huge panic· There was a big panic about the virus last year.growing/mounting/rising panic (=increasing panic)· She quickly packed a bag, trying all the time to control her mounting panic.total/sheer panic· A wave of total panic swept across her.blind panic (=a very strong feeling of fear)· He ran to the library in blind panic.sudden panic· Florrie exclaimed in sudden panic: ‘I’ve left my bag on the bus!’mild panic (=a slight feeling of panic)· There was a note of mild panic in her voice.momentary panic (=panic that does not last long)· Her momentary panic faded.phrasesa state of panic· She was in a constant state of panic that he would carry out his threat.a sense/feeling of panic· She looked out to sea with a rising sense of panic.a wave/surge of panic (=a feeling of panic that you suddenly have)· A sudden wave of panic overcame him.a panic attack· He had had a panic attack in the street.panic1 nounpanic2 verb
panicpanic2 ●●○ verb (past tense and past participle panicked, present participle panicking) [intransitive, transitive] VERB TABLE
panic
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | panic |
| he, she, it | panics | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | panicked |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have panicked |
| he, she, it | has panicked | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had panicked |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will panic |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have panicked |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am panicking |
| he, she, it | is panicking | |
| you, we, they | are panicking | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was panicking |
| you, we, they | were panicking | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been panicking |
| he, she, it | has been panicking | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been panicking |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be panicking |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been panicking |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Lisa panicked when she heard she might be fired.
- The driver apparently panicked and ran off the road.
- The soldiers panicked and opened fire on the raiders.
- When a plane gets into difficulty it is essential that the pilot does not panic.
- When the parachute didn't open I just panicked.
- Almost invariably, it is the accused who, unhinged by stress, panics and does crazy, self-destructive things.
- Haminh didn't panic until she was past Corridor 12 and Fox drew close enough behind her to be heard.
- Hold on to that thought and try not to panic.
- The important thing is not to panic or become impatient because that way you could damage the document.
- Transvaal captain Jannie Breedt will resist the temptation to panic.
- Will they panic at the first sign of trouble?
Longman Language Activatorto be suddenly frightened
to be suddenly frightened by something that happens: · I got a terrible fright when that dog jumped out at me.get the fright of your life informal (=be suddenly very frightened): · I got the fright of my life when he suddenly spoke from out of the darkness.
to suddenly become so frightened that you cannot think clearly, especially if this makes you do something dangerous or stupid: · When the parachute didn't open I just panicked.· The soldiers panicked and opened fire on the raiders.· When a plane gets into difficulty it is essential that the pilot does not panic.
to make a sudden movement because you are surprised and frightened by something that happens very suddenly: · Something came out in front of me and I jumped.· Following the attacks, he now jumps every time he hears a plane.jump out of your skin: · She jumped out of her skin, as something cold and snakelike was thrust into her hand.
to suddenly feel very frightened, with the result that your face becomes very pale: · Alexander looked down the hall, and went pale with fright. It was as if he had seen a ghost. go white as a sheet: · You're as white as a sheet. What's happened?· The nurse came in with a hypodermic needle, and Rob went white as a sheet.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Don’t panic! We’ll soon get you out of there.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES We all made a mad dash for the door.
Don’t panic! We’ll soon get you out of there. We all made a mad dash for the door.· We reached the medical centre with a sense of relief.
· The murders were clearly intended to spread terror.
· Howard, still in a state of shock, stared at Newman.
· A wave of relief washed over Harry.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSVERB· When it eventually dawned on Liza that she must be pregnant, she began to panic.· For a minute everything went dead quiet and Henry began to panic.· Now that she was forced to accept that she hadn't, Celia began to panic.· Morenz began to panic almost at once.
· A friend of mine followed us round and he was starting to panic because he'd had a bet on the boss.· With only a handful of days left for a search, she might well start to panic.· As soon as the cold water hit my sinuses, I started to gag and panic.· And he started to panic, like a stage actor who had forgotten his lines.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
to suddenly feel so frightened that you cannot think clearly or behave sensibly, or to make someone do this: - I grabbed a chair in a blind panic but heard Dad call out, telling me to put it down.
- In that moment of almost blind panic, she doubted it.
- Not like shooting Sweet in a moment of blind panic.
- She bore him three children and he killed the children and her in a blind rage arranged by Hera.
- That relaxed, even jokey, presence we offer you is at times a front for blind panic.
- The mist thickened and hid it, and I knew a moment's blind panic.
- She held her breath on another quick dart of guilt.
- The words echoed unspoken in her brain, sending tiny darts of pain through her veins.
- He flew into a rage with him and brained him with his lute.
- I flew into a rage and quit.
- I was made to feel like a petulant child who has flown into a temper because his favorite toy was removed.
- Maclean immediately flew into a rage.
- Mary's natural tendency to fly into a temper probably did not increase their chances very much.
- Mitch was going to fly into a rage.
- The Collector had flown into a rage.
- Whenever Stewart showed signs of rejecting that outlook, Joe would fly into a rage.
- He caught me in a moment of weakness.
- I had a moment of panic.
- In a moment of madness Rosenoir kicked Alan Kernaghan as he lay on the ground.
- In a moment of weakness the President had accepted the invitation.
- It was a moment of madness.
- She rang the doorbell, listened to the silence within and felt a moment of panic.
- What mattered was that one of the legs had been used by the gang in a moment of panic.
- And why have governments in the region not pressed the panic button?
- Derby County chairman Brian Fearn has refused to push the panic button after Tranmere's 2-1 win.
- A 16-year-old girl works herself into a frenzy of grief for a friend killed by right-wing vigilantes.
- I could see at once he was working himself into a panic about it all.
- I knew I was working myself into a state, but I kept on staring at the picture of the dead girl.
- It was silly to work himself into a state like this.
- Make sure that the horse stays calm and does not work himself into a frenzy.
- You're working yourself into a state.
He started to panic when he saw the gun. Don’t panic! We’ll soon get you out of there.panic somebody into doing something The protests became more violent and many people were panicked into leaving the country.