Synonyms of paranoid

paranoid

adjective

variants also paranoidal

as in worried

having extreme or unreasonable fear or suspicion

He was paranoid about break-ins and insisted on checking the locks himself every night.

Related Words

• worried
• cautious
• careful
• skeptical
• nervous
• anxious
• wary
• suspicious
• distrustful
• mistrustful
• doubting
• questioning
• curious
• disbelieving
• incredulous
• unbelieving
• negativistic
• show-me
• cynical
• uneasy
• critical
• leery
• suspecting
• watchful
• quizzical
• puzzled
• tense
• edgy
• guarded
• unsure
• experienced
• inquisitive
• hesitant
• gun-shy
• worldly
• nosy
• uncertain
• unconvinced
• sophisticated
• knowing
• worldly-wise
• snoopy
• undetermined
• undecided
• inquiring
• unsettled

Dissimilar Words

• sure
• certain
• positive
• confident
• careless
• unsuspecting
• heedless
• unsuspicious
• unwary

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of paranoid

Given that the conflict between Rudd and Marcus becomes sweaty as hell to begin with (Rudd grows paranoid that Marcus will steal his spotlight), Spicer’s film would have been well-served to paper over it in favor of a few extra gags. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 25 June 2026

She’s been attacked, her puritanical sister has landed from America, and murder is starting to feel less like a paranoid theory than a reasonable working assumption. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 22 June 2026

Initially skeptical, Tom becomes increasingly paranoid after a sailor who got lost in the fog essentially goes mad, with his eyes turning white just before dying. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 21 June 2026

Witnesses testified that Sherman, who had grown paranoid, was armed with a gun and shot Makinano twice in the back as Makinano attempted to get away. — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 20 June 2026