They were in a state of panic.

他们惊恐万状。

《牛津词典》

Stock markets, which seemed in a state of panic on August 16th, have recovered some of their poise.

股票市场已经从8月16日的恐慌状态中有所恢复。

youdao

Once, while I was out of town on a business trip, I got a phone call from my wife, who was in a state of panic because there was a spider in the kitchen.

有一次，我正在镇外的商旅途中，接到了妻子的电话，她因为在厨房发现了一只蜘蛛而恐慌不已。

youdao

"The entire city is in a state of panic - you see for yourselves.

VOA: standard.2010.06.15

As her doctor gave her the diagnosis, "I was in a state of panic, " she says.

CNN: Olivia Newton-John, Jaclyn Smith on surviving breast cancer

Stockmarkets, which seemed in a state of panic on August 16th, have recovered some of their poise.

ECONOMIST: Monetary policy

The reason that otherwise intelligent people are willing to make such obviously absurd statements is because they are in a state of panic.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: The PLO's desperate defenders