paparazzi

American  

[pah-puh-raht-see, pah-pah-raht-tsee] / ˌpɑ pəˈrɑt si, ˌpɑ pɑˈrɑt tsi /

plural noun

1. freelance photographers, especially those who take candid pictures of celebrities for publication.

   To evade the paparazzi, the actress sent her car to the front entrance and snuck in the back on foot.

   I felt like a paparazzo as I hung around waiting to catch a glimpse of the singer.

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Etymology

Origin of paparazzi

First recorded in 1965–70; from Italian, from the surname of such a photographer in Federico Fellini's ( def. ) La dolce vita (1959), of disputed origin

Example Sentences

In 2011, Spelling was involved in a crash with her children in a vehicle that she said was prompted by paparazzi.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

Swift does not appear in the video, instead compiling a "supercut" of scenes from the late actress's films, alongside archive clips and newsreels showing the star being hounded by paparazzi.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

The “Hot to Go!” hitmaker has been vocal in the past about setting boundaries with fans and paparazzi, as well as her complicated relationship with fame.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Both brothers’ decisions are driven in part by an identical desire: to avoid inflicting on their own families a repeat of their own childhood trauma of seeing their mother chased to her death by paparazzi.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

A mob of paparazzi have crowded there, some of them pushing past the security.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu