paranoid
adjective
para·noid
ˈper-ə-ˌnȯid 
ˌpa-rə-
variants
or less commonly paranoidal
ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi-dᵊl
ˌpa-rə-
1
: characterized by or resembling paranoia or paranoid schizophrenia
a paranoid psychiatric patient
2
: characterized by suspiciousness, persecutory trends, or megalomania
behaving in a paranoid manner with accusations of persecutions
3
: extremely fearful
was so paranoid that he was afraid to walk the streets
paranoid
noun
Examples of paranoid in a Sentence
I guess I was just being paranoid.
She's a little paranoid about her job.
It's nothing more than a paranoid fantasy.
Recent Examples on the Web
There’s something transactional and performative in all his personal interactions that borders on sociopathy, before fame gave him good reason to be paranoid.
—
Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
That should help other masters athletes be a little less paranoid about the dangers of an occasional training break.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 23 Dec. 2024
This isn’t about being paranoid, but rather about being smart and using your intuition to guide you.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Dec. 2024
Dominic López Producers: Kelsey Gunn, Dominic López, Nicholas Anthony Reid
A paranoid germaphobe escalates his desperate attempts to rid himself of a virus—until his fear leads him to a tragic decision.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for paranoid 
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Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
That should help other masters athletes be a little less paranoid about the dangers of an occasional training break.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 23 Dec. 2024
This isn’t about being paranoid, but rather about being smart and using your intuition to guide you.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Dec. 2024
Dominic López Producers: Kelsey Gunn, Dominic López, Nicholas Anthony Reid
A paranoid germaphobe escalates his desperate attempts to rid himself of a virus—until his fear leads him to a tragic decision.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for paranoid
Dictionary Entries Near paranoid
Cite this Entry
“Paranoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paranoid. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
paranoid
1 of 2 adjective
para·noid
ˈpar-ə-ˌnȯid
variants
also paranoidal
1
: characterized by or resembling paranoia or paranoid schizophrenia
2
: characterized by suspiciousness, persecutory trends, or megalomania
paranoid
2 of 2 noun
: one affected with paranoia or paranoid schizophrenia
called also paranoiac
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