panic panic

noun

() an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety  ( affright, panic, terror )
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety

() sudden mass fear and anxiety over anticipated events  ( scare, panic )
sudden mass fear and anxiety over anticipated events
 panic in the stock market
panic in the stock market
 a war scare
a war scare
 a bomb scare led them to evacuate the building
a bomb scare led them to evacuate the building

verb

() cause sudden fear in or fill with sudden panic  ( panic )
cause sudden fear in or fill with sudden panic
 The mere thought of an isolation cell panicked the prisoners
The mere thought of an isolation cell panicked the prisoners

() be overcome by a sudden fear  ( panic )
be overcome by a sudden fear
 The students panicked when told that final exams were less than a week away
The students panicked when told that final exams were less than a week away