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

Anton is not much for the public eye, and has only been spotted a few times by paparazzi over the years. —Kayla Caldwell, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

Grizzly 399 was a wildlife superstar with her own regular swarm of paparazzi. —Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life, 24 Oct. 2024

Because Princess Diana’s fatal car wreck in 1997 was the result of fleeing paparazzi, photos of the scene were particularly sensitive and an unofficial media blackout was immediately put in place. —Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2024

But there’s no denying that this reunion — with four of their five children — took place in full view of the paparazzi, instead of in a private family place. —Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 17 Sep. 2024

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

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