paranoid

/ˈpær.ə.nɔɪd/ (UK) · /ˈper.ə.nɔɪd/ (US)

paranoid — 形容詞

  • paranoidpositive
  • more paranoidcomparative
  • most paranoidsuperlative

1. unreasonably worried that people are secretly criticising you or intend to cause

1.形容詞B2
釋義

多疑的

無端懷疑他人惡意的

unreasonably worried that people are secretly criticising you or intend to cause you trouble, even though there is nothing to support this fear.

例句

Yasmin grew paranoid when colleagues stopped inviting her — they were just busy with a project.

Yasmin 開始疑神疑鬼，因為同事不再約她——其實他們只是忙著做專案。

paranoid + that-clause (implied belief about others)

The manager grew paranoid about staff stealing supplies, but an audit showed nothing was missing.

經理開始多疑地認為員工在偷文具，但查帳後發現根本沒有任何東西遺失。

paranoid + about [gerund/noun]

同義詞
  • suspicious

    less intense; suggests doubt rather than full-blown irrational fear

  • distrustful

    focuses on lack of trust rather than fear of harm

  • anxious

    broader; can describe general worry without the element of perceived persecution

反義詞
  • trusting

    willing to believe others have good intentions

  • at ease

    feeling relaxed and safe around others

文法句型

paranoid + about + noun/gerund

paranoid + that-clause

用法筆記

Often used in everyday conversation to describe excessive worry that the speaker considers irrational. The that-clause structure ('paranoid that...') is the most common pattern in informal speech. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense describes normal-range anxiety rather than a diagnosed medical condition.

常見錯誤

❌I felt paranoid of someone watching me.
✅I felt paranoid about someone watching me.
💡'paranoid' takes 'about', not 'of'.
❌She is paranoic about her neighbours.
✅She is paranoid about her neighbours.
💡'paranoic' is extremely rare and not a standard adjective; use 'paranoid' instead.

2. experiencing a diagnosable psychiatric condition involving fixed, false convicti

2.形容詞B2
釋義

偏執的

患有被害妄想症的

experiencing a diagnosable psychiatric condition involving fixed, false convictions that others are conspiring against you, spying on you, or intend to injure you — beliefs that stay firm even when facts prove otherwise.

例句

The patient was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and received daily treatment at the clinic.

該名病人被診斷出患有偏執型思覺失調症，每天在診所接受治療。

collocation: 'diagnosed with paranoid [condition]' (medical register)

Chidi believed people were poisoning his food — a paranoid delusion his therapist treated.

Chidi 認為有人在食物裡下毒——這是一種偏執妄想，由治療師處理。

同義詞
  • delusional

    broader: can describe false beliefs that are not specifically about persecution

  • psychotic

    more severe; describes a break from reality, not limited to persecutory beliefs

文法句型

paranoid + that-clause

diagnosed as paranoid [condition]

用法筆記

This is a formal, clinical sense. Avoid using it casually or as an exaggeration — reserve it for contexts involving actual psychiatric diagnosis. The noun form 'paranoia' (uncountable) is the underlying condition name; 'paranoid' describes someone affected by it.

常見錯誤

❌The doctor said I have paranoiac thoughts.
✅The doctor said I have paranoid thoughts.
💡'paranoiac' is an outdated and rarely used term; 'paranoid' is the standard adjective in modern medicine.