panic
verb/ˈpænɪk/
/ˈpænɪk/
[intransitive, transitive]Verb Forms
Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they panic | /ˈpænɪk/ /ˈpænɪk/ |
| he / she / it panics | /ˈpænɪks/ /ˈpænɪks/ |
| past simple panicked | /ˈpænɪkt/ /ˈpænɪkt/ |
| past participle panicked | /ˈpænɪkt/ /ˈpænɪkt/ |
| -ing form panicking | /ˈpænɪkɪŋ/ /ˈpænɪkɪŋ/ |
- to suddenly feel frightened so that you cannot think clearly and you say or do something stupid, dangerous, etc.; to make somebody do this
- I panicked when I saw smoke coming out of the engine.
- panic somebody/something The gunfire panicked the horses.
Extra ExamplesTopics Feelingsb2- He panics at the first sign of trouble.
- We are beginning to panic about the wedding arrangements.
- Don't panic! We need to try and stay calm.
Word Originearly 17th cent.: from French panique, from modern Latin panicus, from Greek panikos, from the name of the god Pan in Greek mythology, noted for causing terror, to whom woodland noises were attributed.Definitions on the go
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