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
In the age of AI, staying a little paranoid might be your strongest competitive edge.
—
Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Her father was a survivalist who was paranoid and convinced the government was evil.
—The Know, Denver Post, 28 May 2025
After the string of market busts, Akasha was restless and paranoid about keeping his DMT production in one place for too long.
—Andy Greenberg, Wired News, 22 May 2025
The poems walk the line between paranoid survivalism and the vulnerability and care that fuel collective liberation.
—Isle McElroy, Vulture, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for paranoid
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Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Her father was a survivalist who was paranoid and convinced the government was evil.
—The Know, Denver Post, 28 May 2025
After the string of market busts, Akasha was restless and paranoid about keeping his DMT production in one place for too long.
—Andy Greenberg, Wired News, 22 May 2025
The poems walk the line between paranoid survivalism and the vulnerability and care that fuel collective liberation.
—Isle McElroy, Vulture, 21 May 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 6 Jun. 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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