paranoia

[par-uh-noi-uh] / ˌpær əˈnɔɪ ə /

NOUN

mental illness

Synonyms

STRONGEST

insanity mental disorder

WEAK

crack-up craziness delusions depression derangement disturbed mind emotional disorder emotional instability loss of mind lunacy madness maladjustment mania mental disease mental sickness nervous breakdown nervous disorder neurosis neurotic disorder phobia psychopathy psychosis sick mind troubled mind unbalanced mind unsoundness of mind

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But now it seems that a very contemporary and more personal issue could be gnawing at Timesfolk and driving them to the brink of paranoia.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

"My view is we should prepare for paranoia before the event," Uday Kotak, a veteran Indian banker, told a gathering of industry leaders this week, adding, "We must prepare for the worst."

From BBC • May 14, 2026

Well, if you let your paranoia run wild, quite a lot.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

In a sign of his deep paranoia, he told Fox News in 2025 he is so afraid of being carjacked that he doesn’t wear a seatbelt, even though carjacking rates are rapidly falling.

From Salon • Mar. 18, 2026

I was sitting in Psychology 101 when the professor read the symptoms aloud from the overhead screen: depression, mania, paranoia, euphoria, delusions of grandeur and persecution.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

Vocabulary lists containing paranoia

"The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury

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The Perks of Being a Wallflower

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"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury (1950)

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