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
Following his turn as the nerdy and neurotic Michael, David Krumholtz continued his role as head elf Bernard in 2002's The Santa Clause 2, and reprised the part on an episode of the Disney+ series The Santa Clauses in 2022.
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Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
People can deliberately cultivate more conscientiousness, boost their sociability or soften their neurotic edges.
—Dave Winsborough, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Eichner’s neurotic character is there to enlist Honey in learning the details of his boyfriend’s affair.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 26 Aug. 2025
The character was kind, genuine, neurotic, a bit nerdy, a hugger with a heart of gold and endearingly funny.
—Angela Andaloro, People.com, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for neurotic
Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
People can deliberately cultivate more conscientiousness, boost their sociability or soften their neurotic edges.
—Dave Winsborough, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Eichner’s neurotic character is there to enlist Honey in learning the details of his boyfriend’s affair.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 26 Aug. 2025
The character was kind, genuine, neurotic, a bit nerdy, a hugger with a heart of gold and endearingly funny.
—Angela Andaloro, People.com, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for neurotic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for neurotic
paranoid
Adjective
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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
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Rhode Islanders are the 22nd most paranoid about their online privacy, a new study has revealed.—
Will Richmond,
The Providence Journal,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Neurotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/neurotic. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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