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

Thus begins an epic journey through Tinseltown as Gail and Otto join forces with a talent agency assistant, a paparazzo and actor John Slattery, all in the search for Jon Hamm. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2026

But Love Story offers its condemnations without seeming to wonder whether a work of semi-fiction—a full-scale imagining of two people’s lives—is a paparazzo by other means. —Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026

Without one single paparazzo present. —Kate Storey, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2026

While sunbathing at the property, Kate didn’t know that about a mile away, a paparazzo was lurking in the shadows, capturing the private moment with a long-range lens camera. —Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 2 Mar. 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