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

The juror slipped through without a single flashbulb going off, without a single paparazzo glancing or realizing this person might be someone worth photographing. — Luke Jones, Vanity Fair, 5 Nov. 2026

Only one lone paparazzo captured the wedding procession, according to Cosmopolitan. — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2026

Tucked away in the Colorado mountains with nary a red carpet or paparazzo in sight, the low-key film festival doesn’t announce its lineup until the day before opening and surprise additions have long been a fixture of the event. — Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026

Soon after the ceremony, Kloss, who had a brief falling out then rapprochement with the Grammy winner, jetted to Paris Fashion Week, where a curious paparazzo from gossip page Deux Moi had to inquire. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026

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