paranoia
noun
para·noia
| \ ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi-ə
, ˌpa-rə-\
, ˌpa-rə-\
Definition of paranoia
1
: mental illness characterized by systematized delusions of persecution or grandeur usually without hallucinations
Psychotic symptoms and paranoia persisted, and she continued to "find clues" of conspiracy against her.— Helen K. Delichatsios et al.
2
: a tendency on the part of an individual or group toward excessive or irrational suspiciousness and distrustfulness of others
The members of America's racist right inhabit a murky world of conspiracy, suspicion, and paranoia.— Wayne King
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Other Words from paranoia
paranoiac
\ ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi-ˌak
, -ˈnȯi-ik , ˌpa-rə- \
or less commonly paranoic \ ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi(-i)k
, -ˈnō-ik , ˌpa-rə- \
adjective or noun
, -ˈnȯi-ik , ˌpa-rə- \
or less commonly paranoic \ ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi(-i)k
, -ˈnō-ik , ˌpa-rə- \
adjective or noun
paranoically
\ ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi(-i)-k(ə-)lē
, -ˈnō-i-k(ə-)lē , ˌpa-rə- \
adverb
, -ˈnō-i-k(ə-)lē , ˌpa-rə- \
adverb
Examples of paranoia in a Sentence
She was diagnosed with delusional paranoia.
I had to admit that my fears were just paranoia.
Recent Examples on the Web
There is now a sense of paranoia about what might be in store. — Riyaz Wani, Quartz India, "After three weeks of lockdown, this is what Kashmir looks like," 22 Aug. 2019 O'Rourke also criticized Texas leaders for pushing legislation that stoked fear and paranoia about immigrants, as well as those that support Trump's call for a border wall. — Dallas News, "Beto O'Rourke on El Paso shooting: 'It just crushed me'," 5 Aug. 2019 The appearance of police disguised as protesters has triggered further outrage and paranoia among some of the protesters. — Ivan Watson, CNN, "Hong Kong's police describe their side of the protests," 15 Aug. 2019 Because what begins with indulging paranoia, ends with tragedy. — al, "Seeking refuge from ‘the Alien’ invasion," 6 Aug. 2019 Those involved with the site, most notably Jim Watkins, have taken on an air of extreme paranoia. — Timothy Mclaughlin, WIRED, "The Weird, Dark History of 8chan," 6 Aug. 2019 Even had we not been stoned on LSD, this kind of talk, under the psychological conditions prevailing in Southern California that night, would have induced paranoia in the rest of us. — Win Mccormack, The New Republic, "The Manson Girl Who Got Away," 29 July 2019 The policy, approved by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, was rooted in the ugly idea that gay men and lesbians could be easily blackmailed and turned into communist spies — paranoia in full effect. — Hank Stuever, Washington Post, "10 new TV shows to watch this summer, not one of them about a throne," 13 June 2019 In a Tarantinian twist, McQueen reportedly carried a gun to their funerals out of paranoia, according to the Manson exposé Chaos. — Seija Rankin, EW.com, "Your guide to all the real people in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," 30 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'paranoia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for paranoia
paranoia
noun
English Language Learners Definition of paranoia
medical
: a serious mental illness that causes you to falsely believe that other people are trying to harm you
: an unreasonable feeling that people are trying to harm you, do not like you, etc.
See the full definition for paranoia in the English Language Learners Dictionary
paranoia
noun
para·noia
| \ ˌpar-ə-ˈnȯi-ə
\
\
Medical Definition of paranoia
1
: a psychosis characterized by systematized delusions of persecution or grandeur usually without hallucinations
2
: a tendency on the part of an individual or group toward excessive or irrational suspiciousness and distrustfulness of others
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