panic

将“panic”拆解为“pan”和“ic”。想象“pan”是一个空盘子，当盘子突然失去了控制，里面的东西（“ic”作为形容词后缀）四处散落，制造出混乱和恐慌，从而记住“panic”表示恐慌或惊慌的状态。

panic 恐慌

来自Pan,潘神，牧羊神，-ic,形容词后缀。因传说中潘神样貌无比丑陋或因潘神可以发出一种无比恐怖的声音而引申词义恐慌，吓人。

panic

panic: [17] Panic is etymologically ‘terror caused by the god Pan’. The ancient Greeks believed that he lurked in lonely spots, and would frighten people by suddenly appearing, or making noises. He was evidently invoked to account for alarming but harmless natural phenomena, and so the element of ‘irrationality’ in the English word was present from the beginning. English acquired it (originally as an adjective) via French panique and modern Latin pānicus from Greek pānikós ‘of Pan’.
=> pan

panic (v.)

1827, "to afflict with panic," from panic (n.). Intransitive sense of "to lose one's head, get into a panic" is from 1902. Related: Panicked; panicking.

panic (n.1)

"mass terror," 1708, from earlier adjective (c. 1600, modifying fear, terror, etc.), from French panique (15c.), from Greek panikon, literally "pertaining to Pan," the god of woods and fields, who was the source of mysterious sounds that caused contagious, groundless fear in herds and crowds, or in people in lonely spots.

In the sense of "panic, fright" the Greek word is short for panikon deima "panic fright," from neuter of Panikos "of Pan." Meaning "widespread apprehension about financial matters" is first recorded 1757. Panic button in figurative sense is first recorded 1955, the literal sense apparently is from parachuting. Panic attack attested by 1970.

panic (n.2)

type of grass, early 15c., from Old French panic "Italian millet," from Latin panicum "panic grass, kind of millet," from panus "ear of millet, a swelling" (compare panocha).

1. You feel an animal panic to run and hide.

你会感到一种本能的恐惧而想要去逃避。

2. A wall collapsed and 39 people, were killed in the panic-stricken stampede.

一堵墙倒了，慌乱中有39人死于踩踏事故。

3. An earthquake hit the capital, causing panic among the population.

首都发生了地震，引发民众恐慌。

4. On the flight from Paris to Toulon, Mechiche fell prey to panic.

在从巴黎飞往土伦的航班上，梅希什惊慌失措。

5. Cecil now began to panic and fired off two distress rockets.

塞西尔此时开始慌张起来，连忙发射了两枚遇险信号火箭。

【alarm, fear, fright, horror, panic, terror, dread】
这些名词均含“恐惧、惧怕、惊恐”之意。
alarm: 强调突然意识到有危险而产生的恐惧心理。
fear: 普通用词，侧重指面临危险或灾祸时内心所引起的恐惧心情。
fright: 通常指一阵突然的、令人震惊的短暂恐惧，有时含夸张意味。
horror: 侧重指因看到令人讨厌或危险的东西或情景而引起的厌恶情绪、极度恐惧心情或战栗的动作。
panic: 常指因突如其来的外界威胁使人群出现惊慌、恐惧或混乱。
terror: 指极大的恐惧和惊骇，语气最强。
dread: 可与fear换用，着重害怕的心理，但dread常指胆怯和丧失勇气。