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

Petty played Lolly Whitehill, a kind but mentally unstable inmate whose paranoid delusions repeatedly landed her in psychiatric care. — Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 11 July 2026

The actual best thing about Star City, though, is watching chapters of a wild soap opera dressed up as a paranoid spy thriller unfold week to week. — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 10 July 2026

In The Caine Mutiny (1954), the paranoid Captain Queeg (Humphrey Bogart) becomes convinced, with no evidence, that someone is stealing strawberries from the freezer. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2026

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