PARANOIA Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

paranoia

noun

Definition of paranoia

as in anxiety

a feeling that one does not know the whole truth or that someone else is not being truthful Each half of the unhappy couple was constantly wracked with paranoia that the other was cheating.

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of paranoia Eventually, by the time the story reaches the 1950s, and Landau is visited by a friend released from prison, that same atmosphere follows him home, in the form of minor interactions tinged with an air of paranoia. — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026 The project causes his wife, Sofia (Cruz), to question their relationship of 17 years as they are drawn deeper into a life of extreme wealth, paranoia, and fear. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026 Leaking secrets is bad for an organization, but comprehensive paranoia is worse, and that is what BlackNet would have produced. — Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026 But his meteoric ascent is followed by an equally spectacular downfall as addiction, paranoia, law enforcement, and his deteriorating relationship with Colombian drug lord Alejandro Sosa (Paul Shenar) begin closing in around him. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for paranoia

Recent Examples of Synonyms for paranoia

Noun

And three, sometimes four, of those many waking hours are spent in the car — bouncing from home to school to her second or third job and home again — with music at full blast to drown out the babble of anxiety, most of it financial.

— Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2026
This can help decrease anxiety and increase confidence by removing the pressure of one ideal performance and shifting focus to the present moment.

— Lennon Sherburne, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of anxiety

Noun

Bird has concerns, particularly around the build-up of power around technological advancements, which push the film into surprising and exciting dystopian directions.

— Zac Ntim, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
By that point, family members of those on board had raised concerns about dwindling food supplies and low morale.

— Mosheh Gains, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of concern

Noun

Teachers, principals or other school officials are among the professionals considered by Missouri law to be mandated reporters and are required to report any reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect directly to state authorities.

— Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026
Related Stories With 2,000 souls on board, the stakes are high and suspicion spreads, as the mission turned murder investigation slowly transforms into a global security crisis.

— Kevin Giraud, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of suspicion

Noun

The mood that hangs over Tip Toe is two parts anxious dread to one part disbelief that things could really get quite so bad — as represented, with tragic irony, by Leo.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Cornell University’s investigation, of course, did not have to adhere to New York’s arguably archaic criminal standards, but its response, too, has triggered anger and disbelief across airwaves and social media.

— Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of disbelief

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“Paranoia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paranoia. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of paranoia

noun

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