paranoid

[ 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

“One continues to wonder,” Buckley wrote, “how it is that the membership of the John Birch Society tolerates such paranoid and unpatriotic drivel.”

From Washington Post

“In retrospect, it’s a bit of a pity, when we could have been discussing logistics and operations, but everyone was really paranoid,” the state official said.

From Washington Post

The late British essayist Christopher Hitchens once described Pakistan as a “humorless, paranoid, insecure” nation.

From Washington Post

Apple is more paranoid about privacy than Amazon or Google, though that means the HomePod mini isn’t as widely capable in the smart home — it still can’t operate things like the most popular doorbells and thermostats.

From Washington Post

Those of us who live in a city are not sure about how paranoid to be.

From Nautilus

“I was so paranoid that I would shred the receipts,” she said.

From The Daily Beast

As for his harsh—some might even say paranoid—opposition to European integration, “most of us would support him.”

From The Daily Beast

He became paranoid that his bride would be kidnapped, and told her to never go to the same place twice.

From The Daily Beast

And in a culture as paranoid as ours, we freak out about them all the time.

From The Daily Beast

He becomes increasingly paranoid by the societal fixtures around him—a ticking clock, a ringing phone.

From The Daily Beast

But if you want to understand security, you need to consider the most paranoid possibilities.

From Project Gutenberg

Even if it's a paranoid constitutional inferior like Jimmy's father.

From Project Gutenberg

Then the paranoid symptoms appear; he imagines himself surrounded by envious enemies, who are conspiring against him.

From Project Gutenberg

Aside from this paranoid complex he had a complete left-sided functional hemiplegia with all the concomitant signs.

From Project Gutenberg

This group he again subdivides into the querulent and hallucinatory paranoid forms.

From Project Gutenberg

More About Paranoid

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.

Where does paranoid come from?

The first records of paranoid come from the early 1900s from the context of psychology. Records of its use in a more general way come from around the 1950s. It is based on paranoia, which is recorded earlier and derives from the Greek paránoia, meaning “madness.” Paranoia is formed from para–, meaning “abnormal” or “defective,” and nous, meaning “mind.”

Most people understand the concept of what it means for someone to be paranoid: their fear is heightened, they sense danger everywhere, and they feel like everyone is conspiring against them. While most people may have had similar feelings at one time or another, people who have been diagnosed with paranoia, such as paranoid personality disorder and paranoid schizophrenia, experience them to an extreme degree, sometimes in the form of delusions. Such delusions often focus on what’s perceived as constant persecution from others. Still, paranoid is very commonly used in a more general way to describe such thoughts or people who act in an overly distrusting or suspicious way. In this way, it is almost always used negatively as a criticism of someone.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to paranoid?

• paranoia (noun)
• paranoiac (noun, adjective)
• paranoeac (noun, adjective)

What are some synonyms for paranoid?

• overly suspicious 
• irrationally distrustful

What are some words that share a root or word element with paranoid? 

 

• paralexia

 

What are some words that often get used in discussing paranoid?

• disorder
• mental illness
• suspicion
• distrust
• fear
• persecution
• schizophrenia
• personality
• anxiety

How is paranoid used in real life?

Paranoid is a formal psychiatric term, but it is commonly used in a more general or casual way to describe certain feelings, behaviors, or personalities.

Mr Ebs had his best day so far yesterday. Pain is still there but improving and delirium is much better, which is the best, because he's in much better spirits and not having paranoid delusions.

I think I mentioned that we recently discovered he had had a stroke at some point?>

— Ebony Artworkz (@quiltineb1) March 25, 2020

Anyone else with a history of psychosis struggling with paranoid thoughts? Cos mine are getting bad again. When I go out to get meds / food I’m terrified people are spying on me / will report me to the police / govt. On top@of this is the anxiety around germs and cleanliness. 1/2

— Len (@LenDemetriou) March 23, 2020

i genuinely am paranoid that everyone secretly hates me and thinks i am really really annoying and awful and is pretending to be my friend and it’s all part of some big joke

— ☾ (@wipeyourtearsss) March 12, 2020

 

 

Try using paranoid!

A person or behavior described as paranoid is most likely characterized by which of the following things?

A. distrust
B. suspicion
C. feelings of being targeted
D. all of the above