as in paranoid
having or showing a very nervous or disordered state of mind
Her neurotic tendencies tend to manifest in her obsessive need for cleanliness. Our dog is a bit neurotic; she tends to panic around strangers.
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Recent Examples of neurotic
Perfectionists Nini and Jane are feeling a bit neurotic, while Darlene Mitchell helpfully steers Juicy to develop a Karen that will lean into her strengths and make Ru laugh.
—
Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2026
Streisand, who played the neurotic, political firebrand Katie Morosky opposite Redford's WASPy Hubbell Gardiner in the 1973 romantic drama, performed a song and delivered a speech honoring him during the Oscars' In Memoriam segment.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 16 Mar. 2026
Block squirts out a capturing of Dreyfuss as a fuzzy-haired neurotic ping-ponging mood changes around the set.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 10 Mar. 2026
The issue, which can arise within minutes, is that no matter how careful, how neurotic, how cautious someone is, inevitably the shiny piano black plastic trim gets scratched, knicked, and or marred rapidly as a car is used.
—Joel Feder, The Drive, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for neurotic
Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2026
Streisand, who played the neurotic, political firebrand Katie Morosky opposite Redford's WASPy Hubbell Gardiner in the 1973 romantic drama, performed a song and delivered a speech honoring him during the Oscars' In Memoriam segment.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 16 Mar. 2026
Block squirts out a capturing of Dreyfuss as a fuzzy-haired neurotic ping-ponging mood changes around the set.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 10 Mar. 2026
The issue, which can arise within minutes, is that no matter how careful, how neurotic, how cautious someone is, inevitably the shiny piano black plastic trim gets scratched, knicked, and or marred rapidly as a car is used.
—Joel Feder, The Drive, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for neurotic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for neurotic
paranoid
Adjective
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When Kavanaugh asks if Patel really is paranoid enough to make FBI staffers take polygraph tests, Patel denies it.—
William Vaillancourt,
Rolling Stone,
10 May 2026
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Instead, Putin spends more time in underground bunkers micromanaging his war, paranoid about a coup or an assassination attempt by Ukrainian drones, sources told the Financial Times.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Neurotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/neurotic. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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