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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Example Sentences

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 Griffith’s paranoia reached a fever pitch after a narrow brush with death in 1891. — Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 14 Oct. 2026 There’s also a twitchy paranoia at play, since Ethan and Ivy, as outsiders, inevitably spark a turf war as various warring factions try to figure out who is killing their men. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026 The team’s findings, published last week in Nature Communications, reveal that, when given such a drug, rodents suffer adverse reactions similar to the paranoia human cannabis users feel. — Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026 This causes paranoia and betrayal among his followers, where his sister Winter (Billie Lourd) meets her fate. — Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for paranoia

Recent Examples of Synonyms for paranoia

Noun

Research has also found that across generational groups, greater user tendency to engage in social comparison, together with greater maladaptive ways of coping with emotions, is associated with more symptoms of anger, anxiety, and depression.

— Ashwini Nadkarni, Time, 24 Oct. 2026
The market for profiting off male body anxiety is nothing new.

— Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of anxiety

Noun

Mental health experts have voiced concerns about chatbots’ sycophancy, lack of clinical nuance, and ability to reinforce delusional beliefs.

— Andrew R. Chow, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
The deal drew concern from legislators and delivery drivers, who worried about reduced competition.

— Jay Ganglani, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of concern

Noun

Given that the dynamic between Europe and Russia is now characterized by pervasive mutual suspicion, conspiracy theories, and expectations of war, there is a growing danger of inadvertent escalation.

— Dmitry Adamsky, Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2026
Anxiety and suspicion about robot infiltrators are everywhere — and so are people claiming to hunt the robots down.

— T.M. Brown, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of suspicion

Noun

The French woke up in a state of shock and disbelief on Monday, after weekend demonstrations over education and the cost-of-living crisis spiraled into violence.

— Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2026
Our server reads our order back to us, shaking his head in theatrical disbelief.

— Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of disbelief

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paramours

paranoia

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Style

“Paranoia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paranoia. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of paranoia

noun

Example Sentences

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