Panic is a sudden, intense feeling of fear that makes it hard to think clearly. It can cause people to react quickly or wildly without planning.
From Greek 'panikos', meaning 'of Pan', referring to the god Pan. Ancient people believed sudden, irrational fear in lonely places was caused by Pan’s presence.
The word 'panic' is literally named after a goat-footed forest god who supposedly scared travelers out of nowhere. It’s a reminder that what we now call a psychological reaction was once blamed on invisible spirits in the woods.
In some traditions, 'panic' was feminized, with stereotypes of women as more prone to irrational fear, while men’s fear was framed as strategic or justified. In modern usage, this bias appears in who is labeled 'hysterical' or 'panicky' in media and everyday speech.
Avoid using 'panic' or related adjectives to stereotype any gender as less rational; focus on situations and responses rather than gendered character judgments.
["acute fear","alarm","sudden anxiety"]
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