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
Bud also becomes increasingly paranoid about the comings and goings of his wife.
—
Niela Orr, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2026
Namir Smallwood stars opposite Coon as Peter, a paranoid former soldier and mysterious drifter who meets her character Agnes, a lonely waitress.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
Eventually Nina grows paranoid, losing her grip on what’s real and what’s not.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 12 Jan. 2026
Alice is paranoid, thinking her roommate is rearranging her shower supplies and that someone might be poisoning her food.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paranoid
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.
Niela Orr, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2026
Namir Smallwood stars opposite Coon as Peter, a paranoid former soldier and mysterious drifter who meets her character Agnes, a lonely waitress.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
Eventually Nina grows paranoid, losing her grip on what’s real and what’s not.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 12 Jan. 2026
Alice is paranoid, thinking her roommate is rearranging her shower supplies and that someone might be poisoning her food.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paranoid
Cite this Entry
“Paranoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paranoid. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
