PARANOIDS 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 Didulo — paranoid that people in the village would poison her through the town’s utilities — bought vast quantities of bottled water. — Zander Sherman, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026 Partway through the season, Straczynski noticed O’Hare developing symptoms of psychosis, including paranoid delusions. — Jp Mangalindan, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Aug. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for paranoid

Recent Examples of Synonyms for paranoid

Adjective

Why people don’t like it Some residents are worried about how these sprawling energy farms will affect local soil, especially near farmland.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 20 Aug. 2026
The drop in tech talent in the Bay Area comes as workers grow more worried that AI could lead to fewer jobs.

— Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of worried

Adjective

Another reason to be cautious about relying on AI is that crisis communications can pose critical legal risks for companies.

— Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Beijing is a source of crucial economic support for Iran but has walked a cautious diplomatic line amid the US-Iran war, keeping communications open with players on both sides.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of cautious

Adjective

Without careful planning to reduce the constellations’ brightness, the team found that, in the most extreme case, the satellites could outnumber visible stars by a factor of 100.

— Arielle Frommer, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026
Maneuvering in tight spaces requires careful judgment of each individual case — and not just about which body part is least likely to cause offense when brought into close proximity to a fellow diner.

— Judith Martin, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of careful

Adjective

Lots of teams will forfeit games because of an ineligible player (barring athletic directors being skeptical of every transfer).

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
He's been skeptical of the war, but he's came out recently and said that the war should end.

— Dana Taylor, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of skeptical

Adjective

Until Bezos, or any of his new partners, speak publicly, the conversation about what comes next will be nervous.

— Simon Hughes, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
In a nervous market full of geopolitical tension, IPOs have attracted a lot of investor attention, with AI darlings Anthropic and OpenAI preparing for their own debuts.

— Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 19 Aug. 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 26 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of paranoid

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

devolve

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

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

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Popular

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

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes