paranoid

Archaic, par·a·noi·ac;

[par-uh-noid]

adjective

1. of, like, or experiencing paranoia.

noun

1. a person with paranoia.

Word History and Origins

Origin of paranoid¹

First recorded in 1900–05; paranoi(a) + -oid, with base and suffix merged, perhaps by shortening of the expected but unrecorded paranoioid

Example Sentences

Nixon may have been paranoid but at least he didn’t sound like a petulant teenager.

From Salon

DiCaprio stars as Bob, a paranoid ex-revolutionary living off-grid, who reunites with former accomplices as he's forced to confront an old nemesis after his daughter goes missing.

From BBC

“They were so paranoid. They knew they were being watched.”

From Los Angeles Times

Zarutska’s suspected killer, DeCarlos Brown Jr., is a homeless man with a long criminal record and is a paranoid schizophrenic, according to his family.

From Los Angeles Times

Multiple sources who approached the BBC described feeling "paranoid", "insecure", "isolated" and "mentally unwell" after learning that "secret files" were being kept on them.

From BBC

When To Use

What does paranoid mean?

Paranoid is an adjective used to describe someone who has the mental disorder paranoia, which is characterized by delusions and feelings of extreme distrust, suspicion, and being targeted by others. Such thoughts and actions can also be described as paranoid.Paranoid is also commonly used more generally to mean overly suspicious or irrationally distrustful of others. It’s important to understand that while paranoid is used generally outside of its psychiatric usage in a way that makes it seem less serious, being paranoid is a major symptom of disorders like paranoid schizophrenia and paranoid personality disorder.Example: Just because I lock my doors at night doesn’t mean I’m being paranoid—it just means I’m being cautious.