plural putti
ˈpü-(ˌ)tē 
: a figure of an infant boy especially in European art of the Renaissance
—usually used in plural
Examples of putto in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In their center, Zoya drew Gorey-esque little boys, one trussed in rope, the other naked and chubby like a Renaissance putto.
—
Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2024
Reinstall them in spacious state rooms, and the allegorical intentions about which the curators’ captions inform me—how, for instance, a putto unbuckling Mars’s armor in the Dulwich painting slyly chides the hawks who were driving forward the Thirty Years’ War—might just fall into place.
—Julian Bell, The New York Review of Books, 26 Dec. 2023
Above him a grisaille putto holds his fingers to his lips, indicating the secret nature of the encounter.
—WSJ, 7 Dec. 2021
In the middle of the set, a pinstriped putto peed into a fountain.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2019
Rolling in the sky overhead are winged infants, or putti, who cavort amid splashy clouds of color that seem more liquid than smoky.
—Steven Litt, cleveland.com, 9 June 2019
These were the sorts of meals involving heaping plates of pasta and red sauce in a restaurant festooned with clichés: murals of gondolas, peasants and putti, a soundtrack heavy with accordion and kitsch.
—Patrick Comiskey, latimes.com, 5 Apr. 2018
The colorful knitwear that featured cherubic putti in oval frames looked inspired by church ceilings, and angelic visages also graced motorcycle jackets.
—Colleen Barry, The Seattle Times, 13 Jan. 2018
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2024
Reinstall them in spacious state rooms, and the allegorical intentions about which the curators’ captions inform me—how, for instance, a putto unbuckling Mars’s armor in the Dulwich painting slyly chides the hawks who were driving forward the Thirty Years’ War—might just fall into place.
—Julian Bell, The New York Review of Books, 26 Dec. 2023
Above him a grisaille putto holds his fingers to his lips, indicating the secret nature of the encounter.
—WSJ, 7 Dec. 2021
In the middle of the set, a pinstriped putto peed into a fountain.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2019
Rolling in the sky overhead are winged infants, or putti, who cavort amid splashy clouds of color that seem more liquid than smoky.
—Steven Litt, cleveland.com, 9 June 2019
These were the sorts of meals involving heaping plates of pasta and red sauce in a restaurant festooned with clichés: murals of gondolas, peasants and putti, a soundtrack heavy with accordion and kitsch.
—Patrick Comiskey, latimes.com, 5 Apr. 2018
The colorful knitwear that featured cherubic putti in oval frames looked inspired by church ceilings, and angelic visages also graced motorcycle jackets.
—Colleen Barry, The Seattle Times, 13 Jan. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Putto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/putto. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share