attacco di panico
/atˈtak.ko di ˈpa.ni.ko/word by wordmasculine
The English phrase "panic attack" is attacco di panico in Italian.
attacco di panico is a masculine noun used to describe a sudden period of intense anxiety. In common parlance, Italians say one "has" (avere) a panic attack rather than saying they "suffer" or "experience" one.
Meaning: sudden period of intense anxiety (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of attacco (attack) and di panico (of panic).
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to multiple occurrences, the plural form is attacchi di panico. In this pluralization, only the noun attacco is changed to attacchi.
Did you know?
- While attacco means 'attack', the word is also used in Italian to describe a plug or a socket in an electrical connection.
- In Italian, the word panico can also describe a specific type of grain, deriving from the Latin word for an 'ear of millet'.
- The word attacco comes from the verb attaccare, which means 'to attach' or 'to fasten' as well as 'to attack'.
Examples in context
- Mary ebbe un attacco di panico.Mary had a panic attack.This sentence is useful for seeing how to say someone had an attacco di panico.Tatoeba #6631163 by Guybrush88, translation #1669556 by Spamster
- Era in preda a un attacco di panico scatenato da un incubo.He was in the grip of a panic attack triggered by a nightmare.This sentence is useful for describing someone in the grip of an attacco di panico caused by a nightmare.Tatoeba #11567461 by Nuel, translation #11567460 by Nuel
- Ho avuto un attacco di panico ieri, non riuscivo a respirare.I had a panic attack yesterday, I couldn't breathe.
- È stato un forte attacco di panico.It was a strong panic attack.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Giulia are talking about a difficult moment in a cafe.
- FrancescoMi è venuto un attacco di panico ieri.I had a panic attack yesterday.
- GiuliaMi dispiace molto, Francesco.I am very sorry, Francesco.
- FrancescoNon è successo per colpa tua.It wasn't your fault.
- GiuliaSono felice che tu stia meglio adesso.I am glad you are feeling better now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “panic attack” translations and entries attacco di panico, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (attacco, di, panico) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries attacco, di, panico, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
