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paranoid

paranoid

4 7.3
A person who feels very afraid and does not trust other people
  • noun
  • /ˈpærəˌnɔɪd/
translation icon : paranoico
  • Even paranoids have enemies, however.
  • paranoids have enemies
  • Even paranoids
  • paranoid's delusion

Examples

  • Bugs are a fairly common delusion among paranoids.

  • Perhaps his old friend had a point: a paranoid could have enemies.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Seems Frost is a major paranoid, moves the broadcast every couple months.

  • You're starting to sound like Mr Paranoid here.

  • Many teachers have tried to join Paranoids Anonymous, but no one would tell them where they were meeting!

    Academic text (1992)
  • Though it's true that sometimes paranoids have real enemies, in this case you have no solid basis for it.

    Blog text (9)
  • Paranoids walk a thin dividing line between sanity and lunacy.

  • The detectives interviewed several paranoids who believed they were being watched.

  • In therapy, he learned how to cope with being a paranoid and managing his fears.

  • Many paranoids struggle to trust anyone, convinced that others have ill intentions.

Synonyms

paranoiac
vsparanoid
  • Specialized
1 9.8

A person who wrongly thinks others want to harm them

has irrational fears or suspicions that may be less persistent

Compounds

4 8.0

A serious mental illness with strong false beliefs of being threatened or being very important

How Suspicious

paranoid
4 7.3
suspicious
138 3.2
cautious
210 2.9
trusting
12 2.1

Surface Forms

paranoid singular
paranoids plural

Etymology

Paranoid as a noun names a person whose mind is 'beside' or 'beyond' itself. The word comes from Greek parts para- ('beside' or 'beyond') and -noia from nous ('mind'), so a paranoid is someone who has strong, often unreasonable fears or suspicions.