paparazzo

noun

pa·​pa·​raz·​zo ˌpä-pə-ˈrät-(ˌ)sō 

plural paparazzi ˌpä-pə-ˈrät-(ˌ)sē 

: a freelance photographer who aggressively pursues celebrities for the purpose of taking candid photographs

a movie star surrounded by a swarm of paparazzi

Examples of paparazzo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In all likelihood, Bieber and Hathaway did not go completely pedicure-free in the presence of paparazzi. —Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 1 May 2025

As a cluster of paparazzi hold their cameras up, waiting to get the shot, onlookers crane their necks to see who is causing all of this commotion. —Dave Quinn, People.com, 1 May 2025

The pop star made headlines recently, from cryptic Instagram posts on imposter syndrome in March to recent confrontations with celebrity photographers and paparazzi. —Jay Stahl, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025

Listen to this article 4 min Justin Bieber shared a video of several paparazzi taking photos of him with a plea for the behavior to end. —Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from Paparazzo, surname of such a photographer in the film La dolce vita (1959) by Federico Fellini

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for paparazzo

• palazzo
• terrazzo

Kids Definition

paparazzo

noun

pa·​pa·​raz·​zo ˌpä-pə-ˈrät-(ˌ)sō 

plural paparazzi ˌpä-pə-ˈrät-(ˌ)sē 

: a freelance photographer who aggressively pursues celebrities for the purpose of taking candid photographs