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
The series starred Jeff Goldblum as a paranoid, insecure Zeus, who stands at the center of a power struggle between the gods and humanity—an effort spearheaded by Prometheus and a group of humans including Eurydice, Ariadne, and Caeneus.
—
Travis Bean, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
Evan’s father Jared (Shaun Parkes) has paranoid suspicions that the Radleys may be vampires, but his reasons are unclear since the family goes to great lengths to keep their identity a secret.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 5 Oct. 2024
This isn’t about being paranoid, but rather about being smart and using your intuition to guide you.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2024
Trial testimony indicated that Miller was paranoid and believed his co-workers had been gossiping about him.
—CBS News, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for paranoid 
Travis Bean, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
Evan’s father Jared (Shaun Parkes) has paranoid suspicions that the Radleys may be vampires, but his reasons are unclear since the family goes to great lengths to keep their identity a secret.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 5 Oct. 2024
This isn’t about being paranoid, but rather about being smart and using your intuition to guide you.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2024
Trial testimony indicated that Miller was paranoid and believed his co-workers had been gossiping about him.
—CBS News, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for paranoid
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paranoid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near paranoid
Cite this Entry
“Paranoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paranoid. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
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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