variants
also paranoidal
as in worried
having extreme or unreasonable fear or suspicion
He was paranoid about break-ins and insisted on checking the locks himself every night.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of paranoid
Matthiessen, not without reason, portrays the Bureau as paranoid, dishonest, and in league with corporate interests.
—
Maggie Doherty, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Historically, political movements die when they become subsumed by paranoid Jew-hatred.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
In this two-part episode, Scott becomes paranoid that the office is cursed and decides to hold a charity run.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
But director Kurtis David Harder (Influencer) imbues the proceedings with a slow-boiling paranoid energy that slowly overtakes the film.
—Samantha Allen, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paranoid
Maggie Doherty, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Historically, political movements die when they become subsumed by paranoid Jew-hatred.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
In this two-part episode, Scott becomes paranoid that the office is cursed and decides to hold a charity run.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
But director Kurtis David Harder (Influencer) imbues the proceedings with a slow-boiling paranoid energy that slowly overtakes the film.
—Samantha Allen, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paranoid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paranoid
Adjective
-
Tang thought about his other friends who are worried about their aging parents.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Too many guys would be too worried about keeping their scholarships, never mind their snaps.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
To be sure, Wall Street overall is bullish on stocks, with many of the big firms ditching their cautious tones and urging investors not to bet against the market.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Today, she is classified as having No Evidence of Disease (NED), meaning all detectable signs and symptoms of cancer are gone, a hopeful yet cautious place.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This careful tiptoeing is probably because the scissor artwork was never meant to be sold at a wider scale.—
Samantha Allen,
Them.,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Drafted in the first round out of Texas Tech in 2017—a move that many fans were initially skeptical of—Mahomes only saw a few spot appearances before eventually taking over as the Chiefs’ starting quarterback.—
Cole Sullivan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The Pfizer exec played a critical role in helping Mamdani connect with New York's skeptical business community.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Although Buffalo has allowed just 47 points in its last two games (both losses), the Chiefs offense has people nervous.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Not only are recent graduates nervous that their jobs could be replaced by AI, the application process is also becoming disrupted by the tools.—
Jessica Coacci,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paranoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paranoid. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share