What does panics mean?
“Panics” is the plural noun and third-person singular verb form of “panic.” As a noun, it refers to an abrupt outburst of intense fear or to a sudden episode of widespread alarm, such as a financial panic or public panic. In this plural sense, it is countable and normally used with words such as “trigger,” “cause,” or “a wave of.” As a verb, “panics” describes someone reacting to a threatening or alarming situation by becoming frightened and losing their usual self-control. The expression can be literal, as in a person panicking during an emergency, or figurative, as when markets panic after unexpected news. Although “panic” ultimately comes from a Greek word associated with the god Pan, the modern word is used across English-speaking regions and describes both personal fear and collective social or financial disorder.
Plural form of panic: an instance of sudden, uncontrolled fear or alarm, or an episode of widespread fear or confusion.
"Minor disruptions caused panics among commuters."
To lose self-control because of fear or alarm.
"He panics at the sight of a spider."
“Panics” is the regular plural of the countable noun “panic.”
"The rumours set off panics in several offices."
The word “panic” comes from the Greek Pan, the god associated with sudden, irrational fright, and it gave its name to the financial Panic of 1907.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of panics
The word comes from the mid-17th century, in the form “Panic,” from the Greek panikon, “of Pan,” referring to the god Pan. Its earliest English uses concerned a sudden terror or agitation, often imagined as an influence from the god. The modern financial sense developed in the 19th century, and the word later supplied the name of the Panic of 1907. Its ultimate Greek element pan-, meaning “all,” also underlies cognates such as “panacea” and “pandemic.”
Related word forms
How panics is actually used
The noun is countable, with the singular form “panic.” As a verb, it is normally used in the third-person singular present as “panics” and is commonly followed by “about” or “over.”