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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of neurotic
The actress and singer, who played the adult version of Chrissy, the neurotic, nurturing and pink-loving part of the film's main friend group, has thoughts on how her life would look nowadays.
—
Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
Field’s neurotic, kvetching energy and Pullman’s drawlingly laidback presence spark off each other to amiable and spontaneous effect — enough so to show up the contrivances in the film’s secondary characters and subplots.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 7 May 2026
This uber-neurotic comedian, actor, writer and now recording artist has spent the better part of two decades making audiences laugh, cringe, and cry, often within the same breath.
—Brittany Delay, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
The original Malcolm in the Middle, in the early 2000s, starred Frankie Muniz as the analytical, neurotic protagonist narrating his family’s daily misadventures.
—Allison McClain Merrill, Parents, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for neurotic
Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
Field’s neurotic, kvetching energy and Pullman’s drawlingly laidback presence spark off each other to amiable and spontaneous effect — enough so to show up the contrivances in the film’s secondary characters and subplots.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 7 May 2026
This uber-neurotic comedian, actor, writer and now recording artist has spent the better part of two decades making audiences laugh, cringe, and cry, often within the same breath.
—Brittany Delay, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
The original Malcolm in the Middle, in the early 2000s, starred Frankie Muniz as the analytical, neurotic protagonist narrating his family’s daily misadventures.
—Allison McClain Merrill, Parents, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for neurotic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for neurotic
paranoid
Adjective
-
But their tentative affair is secondary to the complex bond between Ali and Jersey, whose troubled connection with Davis helps Ali understand why her mother is so paranoid about her romantic choices.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
Outside of a few such sequences, the new series plays more as paranoid Cold War thriller than hopeful sci-fi saga, and a pretty good one at that.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Neurotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/neurotic. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
