1.
economic depression; financial crisis
A severe, prolonged economic downturn marked by bank failures, plunging prices, and mass unemployment. Standard term in economic history for events like the 1929 crisis.
1929年の世界恐慌は多くの国に影響を与えた。
The Great Depression of 1929 affected many countries.
金融恐慌が起こる可能性も議論されている。
The possibility of a financial crisis is also being discussed.
恐慌を乗り越えるための政策が次々と打ち出された。
Policies for getting through the depression were rolled out one after another.
2.
panic; sudden fear and confusion
A sudden burst of fear and chaos that grips a crowd or an individual. Mostly used in the phrase 恐慌状態 (a state of panic).
彼は恐慌状態に陥った。
He fell into a state of panic.
火災警報で場内が恐慌状態になった。
The fire alarm threw the venue into a state of panic.
予期せぬ知らせを受けて、彼女は恐慌を来たした。
Receiving the unexpected news, she was thrown into a panic.
Compound of 恐 (fear) + 慌 (confusion; flurry). Two clearly separated uses: a technical economic term and a literary word for sudden panic.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 世界恐慌: the Great Depression; world depression
- 金融恐慌: financial crisis
- 恐慌状態: state of panic
- 恐慌を来たす: to throw into panic
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 不況: recession — milder, more common; a downturn rather than a full collapse
- パニック: panic — colloquial loanword for sense 2
- 混乱: confusion; disorder — broader than panic