Paranoid
adjective
Noticing danger or genuine threats that does not actually exist, often due to worry for no reason.
She's becoming more paranoid everyday, thinking everyone is against her.
Often appears as...
- become paranoid
- feel paranoid
adjective
In medical terminology, a severe mental disorder causing false beliefs, such as thinking everyone is against you, even though it's not true.
His paranoid schizophrenia caused him to mistrust even his close friends.
Often appears as...
- paranoid schizophrenia
- paranoid personality disorder
Usage tips
Technical
adjective
Noticing danger or genuine threats that does not actually exist, often due to worry for no reason.
She's becoming more paranoid everyday, thinking everyone is against her.
Often appears as...
- become paranoid
- feel paranoid
adjective
In medical terminology, a severe mental disorder causing false beliefs, such as thinking everyone is against you, even though it's not true.
His paranoid schizophrenia caused him to mistrust even his close friends.
Often appears as...
- paranoid schizophrenia
- paranoid personality disorder
Usage tips
Technical
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Emotional Charge
Paranoid has a negative emotional connotation, suggesting irrational fear or worry.
He was paranoid that he'd lose his job for a small mistake.
Pro Tip 2/3Unfounded Suspicion
Use 'paranoid' to describe unjustified distrust towards others or situations.
She felt paranoid about her phone being tapped despite no evidence.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Always Negative
Sometimes 'paranoid' conveys carefulness, as in avoiding unnecessary risks.
They were considered paranoid for always backing up their computer files.
Pro Tip 1/3Emotional Charge
Paranoid has a negative emotional connotation, suggesting irrational fear or worry.
He was paranoid that he'd lose his job for a small mistake.
Pro Tip 2/3Unfounded Suspicion
Use 'paranoid' to describe unjustified distrust towards others or situations.
She felt paranoid about her phone being tapped despite no evidence.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Always Negative
Sometimes 'paranoid' conveys carefulness, as in avoiding unnecessary risks.
They were considered paranoid for always backing up their computer files.
Pro Tip 1/3Emotional Charge
Paranoid has a negative emotional connotation, suggesting irrational fear or worry.
He was paranoid that he'd lose his job for a small mistake.
Pro Tip 2/3Unfounded Suspicion
Use 'paranoid' to describe unjustified distrust towards others or situations.
She felt paranoid about her phone being tapped despite no evidence.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Always Negative
Sometimes 'paranoid' conveys carefulness, as in avoiding unnecessary risks.
They were considered paranoid for always backing up their computer files.
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Video examples
Chris Downey: Design...
and it's a whole other story. And I don't know who's watching who, but I have a suspicion that a lot of people are watching me. And I'm not paranoid, but everywhere I go, I'm getting all sorts of Go here, move there, watch out for this. A lot of the information is good. Some of it's helpful. A lot of it's kind of reversed.
Video examples
Hasan Elahi: FBI, here I...
I'm still doing this project, but it is obsolete, because you're all doing it. This is something that we all are doing on a daily basis, whether we're aware of it or not. So we're creating our own archives and so on. And you know, some of my friends have always said, "Hey, you're just paranoid. Why are you doing this?
Video examples
How we need to remake...
We can imagine a hypothetical world of "peak social media." What would that be like? It would mean when you get on, you can get really useful, authoritative medical advice instead of cranks. It could mean when you want to get factual information, there's not a bunch of weird, paranoid conspiracy theories.
Video examples
How do you know what's...
The first researcher described life in the town as happy and contented, while the second recorded residents as paranoid and disgruntled. Experts aside, the Rashomon effect can also impact the general public, particularly when it comes to the perception of complicated world events.
Video examples
Inside the Tripper's...
you trust and you look at them and they look at you and they seem to be dangerous and truly ignorant you then can become paranoid which raises the fear level and which makes you terrified and hoping that it will be over and then it isn't over it was a terrible
Video examples
The Terra-Cotta Warriors...
people to high taxation and showed little tolerance for dissent chin outlived numerous assassination attempts and was quite paranoid about revolution he may have thought these threats would follow him into the afterlife the army
Video examples
Is marijuana bad for...
Marijuana can also cause hallucinations or paranoid delusions. Known as marijuana-induced psychosis, these symptoms usually subside when a person stops using marijuana. But in rare cases, psychosis doesn’t subside,
Video examples
Why it's worth listening...
a mental illness characterized by mood swings and paranoid delusions. Throughout my life, my mother's rage would turn our small house into a minefield. Yet, though I feared her rage on a daily basis,
Video examples
Heroes don’t always wear...
sixth grade got my clothes all laid out every once in a while like Lance over make sure they're still there now that may seem a little paranoid unless you've
Video examples
Lessons from death row...
And so, he was destined to be raised by a single mom, which might have been all right except that this particular single mom was a paranoid schizophrenic,
Video examples
Chris Downey: Design...
and it's a whole other story. And I don't know who's watching who, but I have a suspicion that a lot of people are watching me. And I'm not paranoid, but everywhere I go, I'm getting all sorts of Go here, move there, watch out for this. A lot of the information is good. Some of it's helpful. A lot of it's kind of reversed.
Video examples
Hasan Elahi: FBI, here I...
I'm still doing this project, but it is obsolete, because you're all doing it. This is something that we all are doing on a daily basis, whether we're aware of it or not. So we're creating our own archives and so on. And you know, some of my friends have always said, "Hey, you're just paranoid. Why are you doing this?
Video examples
How we need to remake...
We can imagine a hypothetical world of "peak social media." What would that be like? It would mean when you get on, you can get really useful, authoritative medical advice instead of cranks. It could mean when you want to get factual information, there's not a bunch of weird, paranoid conspiracy theories.
Video examples
How do you know what's...
The first researcher described life in the town as happy and contented, while the second recorded residents as paranoid and disgruntled. Experts aside, the Rashomon effect can also impact the general public, particularly when it comes to the perception of complicated world events.
Video examples
Inside the Tripper's...
you trust and you look at them and they look at you and they seem to be dangerous and truly ignorant you then can become paranoid which raises the fear level and which makes you terrified and hoping that it will be over and then it isn't over it was a terrible
Video examples
The Terra-Cotta Warriors...
people to high taxation and showed little tolerance for dissent chin outlived numerous assassination attempts and was quite paranoid about revolution he may have thought these threats would follow him into the afterlife the army
Video examples
Is marijuana bad for...
Marijuana can also cause hallucinations or paranoid delusions. Known as marijuana-induced psychosis, these symptoms usually subside when a person stops using marijuana. But in rare cases, psychosis doesn’t subside,
Video examples
Why it's worth listening...
a mental illness characterized by mood swings and paranoid delusions. Throughout my life, my mother's rage would turn our small house into a minefield. Yet, though I feared her rage on a daily basis,
Video examples
Heroes don’t always wear...
sixth grade got my clothes all laid out every once in a while like Lance over make sure they're still there now that may seem a little paranoid unless you've
Video examples
Lessons from death row...
And so, he was destined to be raised by a single mom, which might have been all right except that this particular single mom was a paranoid schizophrenic,
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Laura Mvula
British Musician
Being a pop star is something I don't think I'm very good at. I'm worried it's making me too paranoid, because all of a sudden, life has become this constant assessment. When you put something out there and people get to hear it, then those people react to it, socially, culturally.
Quote examples
Tess Gerritsen
American Novelist
My dad's cooking was magic in the kitchen. But eventually over the years, his personality changed and his ability to remember recipes failed. He became paranoid and thought people were stealing from him, when often he was just misplacing things.
Quote examples
Ziggy Marley
Jamaican Musician
People treat you according to your energy or what you put out there, so what I put out there is very open. I'm not paranoid or scared, I'm open. That's how I treat people, with respect and speak truthfully.
Quote examples
Rory Stewart
British Politician
I think one of the odd things about public life, coming from the outside, is that people seem to be paranoid. Maybe they were quite frank initially, but then they did one thing which went wrong.
Quote examples
Andy Dick
American Actor
I'm really ultra-affected by things, I feel things deeper, and I cry at the drop of a hat, and offended and sensitive and I'm almost paranoid very easily, and that's who I am.
Quote examples
Jami Attenberg
American Author
Some journal writers choose to password-protect their site, which is either an incredibly responsible act or a paranoid one.
Quote examples
Jordan Peterson
Canadian Psychologist
You have to listen very carefully and tell the truth if you are going to get a paranoid person to open up to you.
Quote examples
Wayne Rogers
American Actor
I may have a slightly paranoid nature, a fear of losing control of my life.
Quote examples
Noam Chomsky
American Activist
The 'peace movement' exists only in the fantasies of the paranoid.
Quote examples
Kenneth Oppel
Canadian Author
The world of 'The Hunger Games' is a paranoid survivalist's dream.
Quote examples
Laura Mvula
British Musician
Being a pop star is something I don't think I'm very good at. I'm worried it's making me too paranoid, because all of a sudden, life has become this constant assessment. When you put something out there and people get to hear it, then those people react to it, socially, culturally.
Quote examples
Tess Gerritsen
American Novelist
My dad's cooking was magic in the kitchen. But eventually over the years, his personality changed and his ability to remember recipes failed. He became paranoid and thought people were stealing from him, when often he was just misplacing things.
Quote examples
Ziggy Marley
Jamaican Musician
People treat you according to your energy or what you put out there, so what I put out there is very open. I'm not paranoid or scared, I'm open. That's how I treat people, with respect and speak truthfully.
Quote examples
Rory Stewart
British Politician
I think one of the odd things about public life, coming from the outside, is that people seem to be paranoid. Maybe they were quite frank initially, but then they did one thing which went wrong.
Quote examples
Andy Dick
American Actor
I'm really ultra-affected by things, I feel things deeper, and I cry at the drop of a hat, and offended and sensitive and I'm almost paranoid very easily, and that's who I am.
Quote examples
Jami Attenberg
American Author
Some journal writers choose to password-protect their site, which is either an incredibly responsible act or a paranoid one.
Quote examples
Jordan Peterson
Canadian Psychologist
You have to listen very carefully and tell the truth if you are going to get a paranoid person to open up to you.
Quote examples
Wayne Rogers
American Actor
I may have a slightly paranoid nature, a fear of losing control of my life.
Quote examples
Noam Chomsky
American Activist
The 'peace movement' exists only in the fantasies of the paranoid.
Quote examples
Kenneth Oppel
Canadian Author
The world of 'The Hunger Games' is a paranoid survivalist's dream.
Example 1 of 10
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