bazaar
Americannoun
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(esp in the Orient) a market area, esp a street of small stalls
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a sale in aid of charity, esp of miscellaneous secondhand or handmade articles
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a shop where a large variety of goods is sold
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bazaar
1590–1600; earlier bazarro < Italian ≪ Persian bāzār market
Explanation
A bazaar is a market that has rows and rows of little shops selling miscellaneous stuff — like tube socks, velvet paintings, and corn on the cob. Bazaar is originally a Persian word, and means "marketplace" all over the Middle East. The word was picked up by the Italians, and spread through Europe and into English. At a bazaar in Istanbul, you'd find food, electronics, clothes — useful stuff. In English, we tend to use bazaar for something closer to a flea market. Although they sound alike, bazaar has no relation to bizarre (the super weird).
Vocabulary lists containing bazaar
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Within this spiritual bazaar, fashion became a place where people could reimagine Christian symbols, figures and history in new ways.
From Salon ● May 17, 2026
It looked disorientingly familiar to a fellow Egyptian American: Art from Egypt lined the walls, with brass pieces and calligraphy you’d find in a Cairo bazaar.
From Slate ● Apr. 29, 2026
Now open 365 days, as the sign on Olympic Boulevard states, Santee Alley is our very own bazaar.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026
Most of the shops in the Tajrish bazaar were closed.
From Barron's ● Mar. 3, 2026
The shape of one particular bald head looked like Smithy’s, and the singular stench of Rasseem’s teeth, which outwrestled all other scents in the fragrant bazaar, meant that he was nearby as well.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
“Ono Ghost Market,” which was originally going to be a streaming series, is inspired by Asian myths about supernatural bazaars where the living and dead interact.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 7, 2026
The novel emerged as he began writing about the objects he had saved, everything from family keepsakes to trinkets picked up at the bazaars, which gradually brought his characters to life.
From Barron's ● Feb. 13, 2026
Brightly coloured lights now decorate the streets and there are signs advertising Christmas bazaars and children's parties.
From BBC ● Dec. 6, 2025
Some Muslims decorate their homes, put out Ramadan-themed tableware and centerpieces or throng to markets and Ramadan bazaars.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 7, 2024
A flurry of reports are coming in that missing instructor Masterji Thakur has been spotted in the bazaars of Afghanistan.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
