as in frightened
too overcome with panic to think or act normally
The panic-stricken horses crashed through the door of the burning barn.
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Recent Examples of panic-stricken
For the first time in his life, the great shark couldn’t swim freely and, panic-stricken, bolted clear of his world and there was only emptiness, and his tail and pectoral fins were helpless in the void.
—
Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
That afternoon, another detainee called her with a message that left her panic-stricken: Her son, 25-year-old Yoiker David Sequera, had been taken away to a notorious offshore prison.
—Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025
These are not the first crew members to be panic-stricken by a stray rat today.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 May 2023
Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
That afternoon, another detainee called her with a message that left her panic-stricken: Her son, 25-year-old Yoiker David Sequera, had been taken away to a notorious offshore prison.
—Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025
These are not the first crew members to be panic-stricken by a stray rat today.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for panic-stricken
Adjective
-
The Americans in that Nebraska unit are isolated and frightened.—
Craig Spencer,
STAT,
13 May 2026
-
While one held the frightened animal’s head, the other — wearing a sweatshirt with an image of the Virgin Mary — applied the iron to a horn.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
Such a relatable perspective proves potent, as Paula’s deft (and not-so-deft) juggling of the actually serious and subjectively serious grows more and more panicked, her problems grow more and more dire, and her solutions grow further and further out of reach.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
-
The censors must have been expecting a great cans-worthy post and panicked.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
They are lost in the abyss of the deep ocean, unable to recognize themselves or their surroundings, overwhelmed and terrified.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
But there were no loud gasps or terrified screams during the screening.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
But Wednesday night, they were handed a harsh lesson from a true contender — one that smelled blood against a team that cowered and played scared to death from the 20-minute mark on.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
-
If nothing else, the manager is box office entertainment and will not be scared to stamp his authority on what seems like a club in crisis.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
The redemption requests at Blue Owl included some large institutions and wasn’t just limited to panicky retail investors, this person said.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
2 Apr. 2026
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Most descriptions conclude that Obama used this quirky exchange to overrule his panicky advisors and run full steam ahead on health reform.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Panic-stricken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/panic-stricken. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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