惊慌

• Pinyin: jīng huāng
• Hanzi breakdown: 惊 = startled, alarmed; 慌 = 忄(heart) + 荒 — flustered, panicked

Meaning

Panicked; flustered; alarmed. A state of fear and confusion.

Describes a mental state of panic where someone is both scared and confused, often leading to irrational behavior. Stronger than just being scared (害怕). Can be used as an adjective or to describe behavior. Often paired with 失措 to form the idiom 惊慌失措.

Examples

1. 火灾警报响起时，人群开始惊慌起来。 When the fire alarm went off, the crowd began to panic.
2. 她努力让自己的声音听起来不那么惊慌。 She tried hard to make her voice sound less panicked.
3. 遇到紧急情况时，保持冷静比惊慌更重要。 In emergencies, staying calm is more important than panicking.

Usage Guide

Context: emergencies, descriptions, emotions

Tone: tense

Do Say

• 不要惊慌。(Don't panic.)
• 惊慌失措。(To panic and lose composure.)

Don't Say

• 惊慌的开心 (Don't combine 惊慌 with positive emotions — it specifically describes fear-based panic, not excitement)

Origin & History

Composed of 惊 (startled; alarmed) + 慌 (flustered; panicked). Together expressing a state of alarm and panic.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal