paranoia means A psychotic disorder, now called delusional disorder, often (in one of six subtypes) characterized by delusions of persecution and a perceived threat against the individual affected with the disorder, and often associated with false accusations and a general mistrust of others. It carries an Arena rating of 1680, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, paranoia ranks #17 of 13,218 for Most Malleable Words, #221 of 13,218 for Most Storied Words, #284 of 13,218 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #1,661 of 13,218 for Most Sublime Words.
paranoia is pronounced /ˌpæɹ.əˈnɔɪ.ə/.
Why “paranoia” is a great word
A mental condition characterized by irrational and persistent feelings of persecution, distrust, or threat from others. From the Ancient Greek παράνοια (paránoia, 'madness'), from παράνοος (paránoos, 'demented'), from παρά (pará, 'beside, beyond') + νόος (nóos, 'mind, spirit'). First attested in English in the early 19th century (as 'paranoea' in 1811). Unlike 'anxiety,' a formless dread of what might be, or 'skepticism,' a reasoned posture of doubt, paranoia is the unwavering conviction of a hostile plot already in motion. It is the sound of a car idling too long on your street and knowing it is for you, the static between radio stations decoded as a private message, and the slow, chilling certainty that the hum of your own refrigerator is a listening device—a profound, isolating labor of building a prison from the materials of an open world.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek παράνοια (paránoia, “madness”), from παράνοος (paránoos, “demented”), from παρά (pará, “beyond, beside”) + νόος (nóos, “mind, spirit”).
By surface analysis, para- (“abnormal, beyond”) + nous (“mind”) + -ia (“(medical) condition”).
noun
- A psychotic disorder, now called delusional disorder, often (in one of six subtypes) characterized by delusions of persecution and a perceived threat against the individual affected with the disorder, and often associated with false accusations and a general mistrust of others.
- Extreme, irrational distrust of others.
Words closest in meaning
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