confetti
Americanplural noun
singular
confetto-
(used with a singular verb) small bits of paper, usually colored, thrown or dropped from a height to enhance the gaiety of a festive event, as a parade, wedding, or New Year's Eve party.
-
confections; bonbons.
noun
Etymology
Origin of confetti
1805–15; < Italian, plural of confetto comfit
Explanation
Confetti is the small bits of paper that you festively throw at a celebration. People at New Year's parties often mark the stroke of midnight by tossing confetti into the air. It's traditional to throw rice at the newly married couple after a wedding ceremony, but sometimes guests throw confetti instead. Other places you might see (or throw) confetti are parades, game shows, sporting events, and parties. Confetti is usually made of paper, though sometimes it's plastic or shiny mylar. Confetti is the plural form of the Italian confetto, "sweetmeat," and the tradition began with small candies thrown during Italian parades and celebrations.
Vocabulary lists containing confetti
2015 Spelling Bee - Words from Round 2
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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.
Cajun chicken pasta is essentially Alfredo in a leather jacket: fettuccine or penne, blackened or “blackened” chicken, a confetti of peppers and scallions, and a liberal snowfall of Cajun seasoning.
From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026
“It’s hard to give the boosters a return on investment like they enjoy,” Kyle Church, Michigan’s general manager, said after maize-and-blue confetti fell from the rafters of Lucas Oil Stadium late Monday night.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
It makes customizable Bundt cakes in a range of sizes and flavors including red velvet, confetti and banana pudding cake.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
They then set off on their journey to cheers and clapping, through a balloon arch with confetti cannons.
From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026
Even his bones would disappear—this was part of Arthur’s warning—until somebody found them scattered among the stained newsprint on the floor, looking like strips of white confetti.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
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.
