PARANOIDAL Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

paranoid

adjective

variants also paranoidal

Definition of paranoid

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

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 paranoid These women can become depressed, isolated, paranoid — convinced their thinning hair is all other people see. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Aug. 2026 Musgrove testified that around Christmastime and into January, her daughter had lost weight and become paranoid. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026 But Musgrove said Clancy lost a lot of weight during that time, struggled with her memory and became paranoid about illogical things. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 By prioritizing the female characters’ perspective, Bound becomes a stylish subversion of film noir conventions, allowing the women at the center to exploit the paranoid masculine posturing of the crime-movie world for personal gain. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for paranoid

Recent Examples of Synonyms for paranoid

Adjective

Teams — worried about how a politically defiant Black quarterback on the roster would impact their bottom lines — over the next several seasons signed dozens of inferior quarterbacks to round out their depth charts.

— Mike Jones, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Los Angeles’ identity and workers’ livelihoods are at stake, say worried residents who fear that Paramount will leave the state.

— Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of worried

Adjective

The Challenges of Caring for a Fireclay Sink However, the same gleaming surface that makes a fireclay sink an anchor of your kitchen design requires a more intentional, careful cleaning routine than some other materials.

— Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 10 Sep. 2026
The premise couldn’t be simpler, though Wollner’s incredible prologue — a careful arrangement of low-event long takes that emphasize how people move through spaces in time — trains our eyes to privilege texture over incident.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of careful

Adjective

Be skeptical of guarantees that depend on platforms the firm does not control.

— Scott Keever, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Unlike Portugal, and to a lesser extent British Columbia, Oregon also failed to secure buy-in from law enforcement, leaving many officers opposed to the policy and skeptical of their role in implementing it.

— Karyn Sporer, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of skeptical

Adjective

One grandmother initially didn’t understand what the couple was asking, while two were a little nervous about taking on a role traditionally given to children.

— Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026
But one area that has Chiefs fans a little nervous is the offensive line that will be tasked with keeping Mahomes upright.

— Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of nervous

Browse Nearby Words

paranoiac

paranoid

paranormal

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Paranoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paranoid. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of paranoid

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

facsimile

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes