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
For Hasan as well, this round of unrest felt different, reflecting both the brutality of an increasingly paranoid regime and a new level of public anger and appetite for confrontation.
—
Sarah Dean, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
Rhode Islanders are the 22nd most paranoid about their online privacy, a new study has revealed.
—Will Richmond, The Providence Journal, 22 Jan. 2026
The attacker, an African American woman named Izola Ware Curry, suffered from paranoid delusions and was found incompetent to stand trial for the crime.
—Indianapolis Star, IndyStar, 16 Jan. 2026
The first album of the MEMENTO MORI era, 2018’s My Dear Melancholy, is a dark and paranoid EP, more sinister, suffocated, and sparse than previous work.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paranoid
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Sarah Dean, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
Rhode Islanders are the 22nd most paranoid about their online privacy, a new study has revealed.
—Will Richmond, The Providence Journal, 22 Jan. 2026
The attacker, an African American woman named Izola Ware Curry, suffered from paranoid delusions and was found incompetent to stand trial for the crime.
—Indianapolis Star, IndyStar, 16 Jan. 2026
The first album of the MEMENTO MORI era, 2018’s My Dear Melancholy, is a dark and paranoid EP, more sinister, suffocated, and sparse than previous work.
—Literary Hub, 14 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 26 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
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