an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety

[ Syn: terror , affright ]

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

[ Syn: scare ]

be overcome by a sudden fear; The students panicked when told that final exams were less than a week away'

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