as in paranoid
having or showing a very nervous or disordered state of mind
Her neurotic tendencies tend to manifest in her obsessive need for cleanliness. Our dog is a bit neurotic; she tends to panic around strangers.
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Recent Examples of neurotic
It’s been over 30 years since America’s favorite neurotic married couple premiered on NBC.
—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
Nilsson admits to suffering from horror vacui—a fear of empty space, which in her case reads less like a neurotic affliction than like compulsive conviviality.
—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
When a conversation ends without a real answer, when a situation is explained away rather than actually explained, the discomfort is not neurotic or petty.
—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Lear would provide comment through this portrait of a neurotic, frayed woman and the people who surround her.
—
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for neurotic
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
Nilsson admits to suffering from horror vacui—a fear of empty space, which in her case reads less like a neurotic affliction than like compulsive conviviality.
—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
When a conversation ends without a real answer, when a situation is explained away rather than actually explained, the discomfort is not neurotic or petty.
—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Lear would provide comment through this portrait of a neurotic, frayed woman and the people who surround her.
—
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for neurotic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for neurotic
paranoid
Adjective
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Given that the conflict between Rudd and Marcus becomes sweaty as hell to begin with (Rudd grows paranoid that Marcus will steal his spotlight), Spicer’s film would have been well-served to paper over it in favor of a few extra gags.
-
She’s been attacked, her puritanical sister has landed from America, and murder is starting to feel less like a paranoid theory than a reasonable working assumption.
Cite this Entry
“Neurotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/neurotic. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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