paranoia

American  

[par-uh-noi-uh] / ˌpær əˈnɔɪ ə /

Archaic, paranoea

noun

• paranoias
  plural

1. Psychiatry. a mental disorder characterized by systematized delusions and the projection of personal conflicts, which are ascribed to the supposed hostility of others, sometimes progressing to disturbances of consciousness and aggressive acts believed to be performed in self-defense or as a mission.

2. baseless or excessive suspicion of the motives of others.

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paranoia British  

/ ˌpærəˈnɔɪə /

noun

1. a form of schizophrenia characterized by a slowly progressive deterioration of the personality, involving delusions and often hallucinations

2. a mental disorder characterized by any of several types of delusions, in which the personality otherwise remains relatively intact

3. informal intense fear or suspicion, esp when unfounded

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paranoia Cultural  

1. A form of psychosis marked by delusions of persecution and of grandeur. One who suffers from paranoia is paranoid.

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Usage

What does paranoia mean? Paranoia is a mental disorder characterized by delusions and feelings of extreme distrust, suspicion, and being targeted by others. Paranoia is also commonly used more generally to mean extreme suspicion or irrational distrust of others. It’s important to understand that while paranoia is used generally outside of its psychiatric usage in a way that makes it seem less serious, having paranoia is a major symptom of disorders like paranoid schizophrenia and paranoid personality disorder. The adjective paranoid can be used to describe a person, action, or thought that exhibits paranoia. A rare alternate spelling for the word is paranoea. Example: Locking my doors at night isn’t a sign of paranoia—it just means I’m being cautious.

Discover More

In popular terminology, a “paranoid” personality is characterized by suspicion and distrust of others; a tendency to look for hidden meaning behind other people's actions; argumentativeness; complaining; low tolerance for criticism; and a constant display of one's own talents, accomplishments, independence, and rationality.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• paranoiac
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• paranoias
  plural

Etymology

Origin of paranoia

First recorded in 1805–15; from New Latin, from Greek paránoia “madness,” from paráno(os) “demented” (equivalent to para- ¹ + nous ) + -ia -ia

Explanation

Something that happens to a person's thinking can lead to paranoia. You may believe that your friends no longer like you, but it's just that your paranoia makes you suspicious of everyone. Paranoia is from the Greek para-, "beyond, irregular," and noos, "mind." It is an irregularity of the mind, a mental disorder that distorts a person's perception of what is real. Someone with paranoia may believe that other people are out to get them or are watching them all the time. Doctors who treat paranoia look for causes, and while patients can develop the disorder gradually and sometimes due to life circumstances, such as abuse or neglect, the use and abuse of drugs can also cause paranoia.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

paranoia paranoias

But Kemp quickly crumbled back in the castle, when paranoia set in.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Nor will media literacy programs, stronger education about viruses, centralized hubs for medical information, “prebunking” campaigns, or community engagement programs—all good ideas from experts that still cannot meet the sheer force of our paranoia.

From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026

Postpartum psychosis is characterized by losing touch with reality, including having delusions, hallucinations or paranoia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Patel’s vague statement, meanwhile, gave conspiracists just enough oxygen to turn a medically explainable death into a fountain of paranoia.

From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026

How can he not see beyond their paranoia!

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

It’s an uncanny combination of paranoias and legitimate concerns, but it’s undeniably working.

From Slate ● Sep. 18, 2020

There is the idea that the dead never do wholly cross, staying on in memory, shaping our projections, paranoias, desires and dreams.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2018

We study the mechanics of crime not to fan our paranoias, but, rather, to defuse them—to tether our imaginations to facts.

From The New Yorker ● Dec. 16, 2015

The debate split between those – such as rrrrrsrrrr – who thought Dunham justified in getting the hump: Why shouldn't a female comedian writing about the nonsense of female paranoias be called a feminist?

From The Guardian ● Jun. 4, 2013

I remembered the walls made of grain sacks and ammunition boxes, of my father’s fears and paranoias, his scriptures and prophecies.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

Related Words

• insanity
• mental disorder