パニック
panikku[pa̠ɲ̟ik̚kɯ̟]
The English word 'panic' can be translated into Japanese as パニック (panikku) or 恐慌.
Meaning: overwhelming fear or fright, an instance of this (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| パニック | panikku | [pa̠ɲ̟ik̚kɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 恐慌 | kyōkō | [kʲo̞ːko̞ː] (narrow) |
The term refers to a state of overwhelming fear or fright. You can use the related verbal phrase パニックになる to mean 'to feel panic' or 'to panic'. Another common way to express being overwhelmed by panic is the phrase パニックに陥る, which means 'to fall into a panic'.
Which one should you use?
パニック is used for general psychological states or individual experiences of panic. In contrast, 恐慌 is used for large-scale phenomena, such as an economic panic or widespread social unrest.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the verb 'to panic', use the noun パニック followed by the verb になる (to become), resulting in パニックになる.
How do you pronounce it?
panikku
Did you know?
- In Japanese pop culture, the term パニック is frequently used in movie titles to describe 'disaster films', often appearing as 'panic movies' to signify a chaotic survival scenario.
- The word 恐慌 contains the kanji 恐, which means 'fear' or 'dread', a character often found in words describing ghosts or supernatural terror.
- Japanese often uses the English loanword パニック even in medical contexts, such as パニック障害 for 'panic disorder', rather than using native Japanese terms.
Examples in context
- トムはパニックに陥った。Tom fell into a panic.This sentence uses パニック to show Tom fell into a state of panic.Tatoeba #2796083 by tommy_san, translation #2810779 by xylian
- パニックに陥るTo fall into a panicThis sentence uses パニック to show the action of falling into a panic.
- パニック発作を起こしているの？Are you having a panic attack?This sentence uses パニック in the context of a panic attack.Tatoeba #9665586 by moxy, translation #6971416 by Eccles17
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are discussing a crowded train station.
- 美咲 Misaki人が多すぎて、パニックになりそう。Hito ga oosugite, panikku ni narisou.There are so many people, I feel like I'm going to panic.
- 健太 Kenta深呼吸して、落ち着いてね。Shinkokyuu shite, ochi-tsuite ne.Take a deep breath and stay calm.
- 美咲 Misaki急にパニックになった人はいた？Kyuu ni panikku ni natta hito wa ita?Did anyone suddenly panic?
- 健太 Kentaいや、みんな冷静だったよ。Iya, minna reisei datta yo.No, everyone was calm.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “panic” translations and entries パニック, 恐慌, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
