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

Nathan, already distracted, gets paranoid that Coop and Joe are laughing at him. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2026

The accusations only make Winifred, who has secretly been dealing with a rapidly fraying psyche, more paranoid, leading to bloody and dangerous consequences. — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 30 July 2026

Dog Days lends itself to exactly this kind of paranoid reading, not only describing but enacting the magical thinking of trauma survivors. — Literary Hub, 30 July 2026

Series regular Toby Huss has since stepped in to voice Hank Hill’s paranoid friend. — Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026