paranoid

adjective

variants also paranoidal
Definition of paranoidnext
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.

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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 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 Old enemies, bad habits, a paranoid government and an unrelenting ex-cop will make retirement their most difficult mission yet. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026 Increasingly isolated and paranoid—his fears being fueled by Wolfram & Hart’s manipulations—Wes kidnaps the baby Connor, intending to take him to safety. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026 The paranoid despot is a familiar trope, in fairy tales and in fact. — Christopher Barnard, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for paranoid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paranoid
  1. worried
  2. cautious
  3. careful
  4. skeptical
  5. nervous
Adjective
  • It’s mainly centered on Billie, who is worried about an old Facebook post standing in the way of finding a job.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The Middle East has long worried about its dependence on the United States and has thus been diversifying its partnerships since the Arab Spring, in 2011.
    — Dina Esfandiary, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of worried
Adjective
  • Florida’s Republican gubernatorial ticket is defying historic trends for a political party traditionally known for elevating white men to leadership positions — even as the GOP remains cautious about drawing attention to the shift.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Bindi, a young female wallaby, is inquisitive and extremely curious, while Wally, a young male wallaby, is more cautious and likes to look at things from afar, Borozenets said.
    — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of cautious
Adjective
  • Apply the serum directly to sparse areas of your brows, being careful to avoid letting the product touch other areas of your skin.
    — Iman Balagam, Vogue, 27 Aug. 2026
  • According to the researchers, careful process design and optimization as well as architecture simplification could help in solving most of these issues, something that industrial production focuses on much more than academic researchers.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of careful
Adjective
  • The tie-up should help some skeptical investors grow more confident that Salesforce — thanks to troves of proprietary customer data housed within its applications — has a role to play in this new AI world.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Price likened his attraction to the format to his early embrace of streaming entertainment back in the days when Hollywood remained skeptical of its staying power.
    — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of skeptical
Adjective
  • Nvidia's forecast comes at a time when investors remain nervous about capital expenditures from large tech companies, the circular nature of financing deals and the return from AI investments.
    — Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Why bats can pose a rabies risk Rabies spreads through the saliva or nervous tissue of an infected mammal, usually through a bite.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of nervous

Browse Nearby Words

paranoiac
paranoid
paranormal
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Cite this Entry

“Paranoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paranoid. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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