panic-stricken

The word is a compound adjective formed from the noun 'panic' and the participial adjective 'stricken'. 'Panic' originates from the name of the Greek god Pan, a deity of the wild who was believed to inspire sudden, irrational terror in people, especially in lonely places. The element 'stricken', meaning "hit or afflicted," intensifies the state of being affected. Thus, the literal construction "stricken by Pan" evolved into the modern abstract meaning of being completely overcome by a sudden, paralyzing fear, capturing the sense of an external force overwhelming an individual.

Structure: panic (sudden fear) + stricken (affected by) - panic: From Greek Panikos, via Latin panicus, meaning "of Pan," the god who caused groundless fear. - stricken: Past participle of the verb strike, from Old English strīcan (to go, move, strike). In this compound, it functions as an adjective-forming suffix meaning "affected by, afflicted with."