panic
noun [ C or U ]
uk/ˈpænɪk/ usa sudden strong feeling of fear that prevents reasonable thought and action:
panic about/over sth There is no cause for panic about oil prices.
a state/wave of panic The government was in a state of panic.
cause/trigger panic The drop in prices could cause panic among investors.
There is no sense of panic yet or any feeling that this is the start of a long-term decline in the pound.
panic
verb [ I or T ]
uk/ˈpænɪk/ uspanicking | panicked | panickedto suddenly feel so worried or frightened that you cannot think or behave reasonably, or to cause someone to feel this:
There is no need for home buyers to panic.
panic about/over sth Should people with savings panic about the safety of their money?
Oil producers were panicked by the drop in oil prices.
panic sb into doing sth The delay in consumer spending means that shops may be panicked into cutting prices.
panic
adjective [ before noun ]
uk/ˈpænɪk/ usresulting from a feeling of panic:
panic buying/selling Panic buying has led to fears that almost half the gas stations could run out of fuel by tomorrow.
a panic measure/reaction The private meeting was a panic reaction to the news of the merger.