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
Elizabeth became increasingly paranoid over the course of her 45-year reign, fearing a coup by subjects who clung to their Catholicism and favored another claim to the throne.
—
Sarah Holzmann, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Feb. 2025
Pino had previously committed Richard to a psychiatric hospital under the state’s Baker Act, one of nine times Richard was involuntarily committed; diagnosed variously as suicidal, paranoid, delusional and bipolar; given temporary stabilizing medication, and released within days.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025
That becomes a great way to place him in a paranoid thriller, which is a genre that’s about mistrust of institutions and individuals.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 14 Feb. 2025
The process of selecting the next pope is turned into a taught, twisty, paranoid thriller.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paranoid
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Sarah Holzmann, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Feb. 2025
Pino had previously committed Richard to a psychiatric hospital under the state’s Baker Act, one of nine times Richard was involuntarily committed; diagnosed variously as suicidal, paranoid, delusional and bipolar; given temporary stabilizing medication, and released within days.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025
That becomes a great way to place him in a paranoid thriller, which is a genre that’s about mistrust of institutions and individuals.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 14 Feb. 2025
The process of selecting the next pope is turned into a taught, twisty, paranoid thriller.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paranoid
Cite this Entry
“Paranoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paranoid. Accessed 3 Mar. 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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