panic
gb/pˈænɪk/ us/pˈænɪk/
B1
English
~ 8600
pánik, pánikba esik, pánikba hoz, tömegpánik, kernelpánik
NOUN
B1
1
pánik
B1
Usage pattern:
to be in a panic
She felt a wave of panic as she realized her passport was missing.
Pánikhullám tört rá, amikor rájött, hogy nincs meg az útlevele.
I tried to stay calm, but inside I was in a complete panic.
Próbáltam nyugodt maradni, de belül teljes pánikban voltam.
A sudden panic gripped him when the lights went out.
You could hear the panic in his voice when he called for help.
The smell of smoke sent me into a panic.
Learner examples
I was in a panic before the test.
Pánikban voltam a dolgozat előtt.
He felt panic when he lost his phone.
Pánik fogta el, amikor elvesztette a telefonját.
Her face showed panic when the dog ran at her.
Panic filled the room when the fire alarm rang.
I tried to hide my panic from my friends.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"I am panic"* instead of *"I am panicking"* (verb) or *"I am in a panic"* (noun). Remember: *panic* is a noun here, so use it with *in a* ("in a panic"). Also, avoid saying *"very panic"*; say *"feel panic"* or *"feel very scared".*
Meaning
sudden intense fear or anxiety
Collocations
in a panic
|feel panic
|cause panic
|panic attack
|sense of panic
|sheer panic
Synonyms
terror (Stronger than panic and often suggests extreme or overwhelming fear, sometimes in life-threatening situations.)
|
anxiety (Focuses more on nervous worry than on the sudden, overwhelming loss of control that panic suggests.)
Antonyms
calm (Describes a relaxed state without fear or worry, the opposite of the intense fear in panic.)
|
composure (Means staying in control and thinking clearly, which people usually lose when they are in a panic.)
Themes
emotions
|psychology
|health
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A very strong and sudden feeling of fear or worry that stops you thinking clearly.
A sudden, very strong feeling of fear or anxiety that makes it hard to think or act calmly or sensibly.
VERB
B1
2
pánikba esik
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] panics (about [something])
Try not to panic; we still have plenty of time.
Ne ess pánikba; még bőven van időnk.
She panicked when she saw the blood on her hand.
Pánikba esett, amikor meglátta a vért a kezén.
Everyone panicked as the plane started to shake.
He tends to panic about small problems.
The crowd panicked when the gates were suddenly locked.
Learner examples
Please do not panic; everything is okay.
Kérlek, ne ess pánikba; minden rendben van.
She panicked when she could not find her child.
Pánikba esett, amikor nem találta a gyerekét.
I always panic before a big exam.
They panicked when the bus did not come.
He panics easily when he is under stress.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *panic* with *about* when it is not needed, e.g. *"Don’t panic about"* instead of simply *"Don’t panic".* Use *about* only when you name the reason: *"She panicked about the test."* Another mistake is using the base form after *am/is/are*: say *"I am panicking"*, not *"I am panic".*
Meaning
suddenly feel extreme fear
Collocations
start to panic
|begin to panic
|try not to panic
|panic about exams
|panicking inside
Synonyms
freak out (Informal phrase that suggests losing emotional control, often used more casually than panic.)
|
lose it (Very informal; means losing emotional or mental control, which can include panic but is broader.)
Antonyms
stay calm (Emphasizes remaining relaxed and in control instead of reacting with panic.)
|
keep your head (Means to think clearly and stay in control in a difficult situation, the opposite of panicking.)
Themes
emotions
|psychology
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To suddenly feel so afraid or worried that you cannot think clearly or stay calm.
To suddenly feel such strong fear or anxiety that you cannot think or act calmly or sensibly.
VERB
B2
3
pánikba hoz
B1
Usage pattern:
[something] panics [someone]
The loud explosion panicked the shoppers in the mall.
A hangos robbanás pánikba hozta a vásárlókat a bevásárlóközpontban.
Rumors of a shortage panicked people into buying extra fuel.
A hiányról szóló híresztelések pánikba hozták az embereket, ezért tartalék üzemanyagot vásároltak.
The sudden smoke panicked the passengers on the train.
Her scream panicked the children.
The report panicked investors and sent the market down sharply.
Learner examples
The fire alarm panicked the students.
A tűzriadó pánikba hozta a diákokat.
The news panicked many people in the city.
A hír a városban sok embert pánikba hozott.
The loud noise panicked the baby.
The dark room panicked the small child.
The earthquake panicked the people in the building.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"panic someone"* when they mean the person felt panic themselves, where the intransitive form is better: *"He panicked"*, not *"The noise panicked him"* (unless you want to stress that the noise caused his panic). Also avoid *"panic him to"*; use *"panic him into doing [something]"* if you need a result, e.g. *"The news panicked him into selling his house."*
Meaning
make someone suddenly very afraid
Collocations
panic the crowd
|news panicked investors
|panicked customers
|panicked students
|panicked residents
Synonyms
alarm (Suggests making someone afraid or worried, but does not always imply the complete loss of control that panic can cause.)
|
scare (More general and often weaker; panic suggests a stronger and more overwhelming fear than scare.)
Antonyms
reassure (Means to make someone feel calm or safe again, the opposite of making them panic.)
|
comfort (Involves reducing fear and worry, which is the reverse of causing panic.)
Themes
emotions
|psychology
|media
Definition
To make someone suddenly very afraid or worried so they cannot think clearly or stay calm.
To cause someone or a group of people to feel sudden, intense fear or anxiety so that they cannot think or act calmly or sensibly.
NOUN
B2
4
tömegpánik
B2
Usage pattern:
a panic over [something]
A small fire in the stadium quickly turned into a mass panic.
A stadionban keletkezett kisebb tűz gyorsan tömegpánikká fajult.
The government tried to avoid a public panic by releasing clear information.
A kormány világos tájékoztatással próbálta elkerülni a lakossági pánikot.
Rumors of bank failures caused a financial panic on the markets.
There was a brief panic at the station when someone shouted that a bag had been left unattended.
The company recalled the product after a panic over possible contamination.
Learner examples
The loud noise caused a panic in the crowd.
A hangos zaj pánikot keltett a tömegben.
There was a panic at the station when the doors would not open.
Tömegpánik tört ki az állomáson, amikor az ajtók nem nyíltak ki.
The news started a panic over food safety.
A small problem can grow into a big panic.
The police worked to stop a public panic.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the personal feeling (*"I felt panic"*) with the group situation (*"There was a panic"*). Use *"a panic"* when talking about a public or shared situation ("There was a panic in the stadium"), and use *"panic"* without *a* or *in a panic* for your own feeling ("I felt panic" or "I was in a panic").
Meaning
sudden fearful situation affecting many
Collocations
mass panic
|public panic
|cause a panic
|spread panic
|financial panic
|a panic over [something]
Synonyms
hysteria (Often used for extreme, uncontrolled emotional reaction by a group, similar to mass panic but can include excitement, not only fear.)
|
stampede (Focuses on sudden, rushed movement of people or animals, often caused by panic but describing the physical reaction rather than the emotion.)
Antonyms
order (Refers to calm, organized behavior in a group, the opposite of the disorder that panic creates.)
|
public calm (Describes a situation where people stay calm instead of reacting with panic.)
Themes
society
|business
|emotions
|media
|daily_life
Definition
A sudden time when many people feel very afraid and act without thinking clearly, often all at once.
A sudden situation in which many people experience intense fear or anxiety at the same time and react in a confused, uncontrolled, or rushed way.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
5
kernelpánik
C2
Usage pattern:
[system] has a panic
The server experienced a kernel panic and had to be rebooted.
A szerveren kernelpánik lépett fel, ezért újra kellett indítani.
The logs showed a panic caused by a faulty driver.
A naplók szerint a kernelpánikot egy hibás illesztőprogram okozta.
A misconfigured module triggered a system panic during startup.
After the panic, the machine would not respond to any input.
Developers are trying to fix the bug that leads to random panics under heavy load.
Learner examples
The computer showed a kernel panic and stopped working.
A számítógép kernelpánikot jelzett, majd leállt.
After the panic, we had to restart the server.
A kernelpánik után újra kellett indítanunk a szervert.
A bad driver can cause a panic in the system.
The log file helped them find the reason for the panic.
He fixed the bug that caused the panic.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this technical meaning with emotional panic. In a computing context, *panic* is not about feelings; it describes a type of system failure. Phrases like *"kernel panic"* are fixed technical terms and should not be translated literally as emotional panic in documentation.
Meaning
serious computer system failure
Collocations
kernel panic
|system panic
|panic log
|panic message
Synonyms
system crash (More general term for when a program or system stops working; a panic is a specific type of crash in some operating systems.)
Antonyms
normal operation (Describes the state when a computer system is running correctly, the opposite of a panic or crash.)
Themes
technology
|computing
Definition
In computers, a very serious error that makes the system stop working and usually needs a restart.
In computing, a serious system error, especially in an operating system, that causes the system to stop running safely, often requiring a restart (as in a "kernel panic").
Grammar
Dictionary form
panic
IPA
GB/pˈænɪk/
US/pˈænɪk/
Syllables & stress
pan - ic (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (pan)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: panic
- Plural: panic, panics
Verb
- Base: panic
- 3rd Person Singular: panics
- Present Participle: panicking
- Past: panicked
- Past Participle: panicked
Word family
Forms
panics
noun
panicking
verb
panicked
verb
Core family
panicky
adjective
Advanced or less common
panically
adverb
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: panicking Verb
- Irregular past: panicked Verb
- Irregular past participle: panicked Verb
Expressions
don't panic
1/dˈoʊnt pˈænɪk/
fixed phrase
informal
instruction to stay calm
Used to tell someone to stay calm and not feel sudden strong fear or worry.
Examples
- Don't panic, we still have plenty of time to catch the train.
- The teacher told the students, "Don't panic, it's only a practice test."
- If you get lost, don't panic—just call me and I'll come find you.
hit the panic button
1/hˈɪt ðə pˈænɪk bˈʌtən/
idiom
informal
overreact fearfully to a problem
To react to a problem with too much fear or worry, often too fast and without thinking clearly.
Examples
- It's just a minor delay, so don't hit the panic button yet.
- Investors hit the panic button after the company announced weak sales.
- Before we hit the panic button, let's check the facts.
in a panic
1/ˈɪn ə pˈænɪk/
fixed phrase
in a state of panic
Feeling strong and sudden fear or worry so that you cannot think clearly.
Examples
- She left the house in a panic and forgot her keys.
- People rushed out of the building in a panic when the alarm sounded.
- I was in a panic and couldn't remember his phone number.
panic buying
1/pˈænɪk bˈaɪɪŋ/
fixed phrase
buying too much because of fear
Buying a lot more of something than usual because you are afraid it will soon not be available.
Examples
- There was panic buying of toilet paper at the start of the lockdown.
- News of the storm led to panic buying of food and water.
- The government asked people to stay calm and avoid panic buying.
panic room
1/pˈænɪk ɹˈum/
fixed phrase
secure room for safety
A small, strong room in a house or building where people can hide and stay safe if there is danger, like a break-in.
Examples
- The rich businessman installed a panic room in his new house.
- They locked themselves in the panic room when they heard someone breaking a window.
- The film shows a family hiding in their panic room during a robbery.
panic attack
1/pˈænɪk ətˈæk/
fixed phrase
sudden episode of intense fear
A short time when a person suddenly feels very strong fear or anxiety, often with physical signs like fast heartbeat, shaking, or trouble breathing.
Examples
- She had a panic attack on the crowded train and had to get off at the next stop.
- After his first panic attack, he went to see a doctor.
- Loud noises can sometimes trigger a panic attack in him.
panic attack
2/pˈænɪk ətˈæk/
fixed phrase
Sudden intense fear episode
A short time when you feel very afraid and your body reacts strongly.
Examples
- She had a panic attack before her speech.
- Panic attacks can make it hard to breathe.