paparazzo

[ pah-puh-raht-soh; Italian pah-pah-raht-tsaw ]

/ ˌpɑ pəˈrɑt soʊ; Italian ˌpɑ pɑˈrɑt tsɔ /

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See synonyms for: paparazzo / paparazzi on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural pa·pa·raz·zi

[pah-puh-raht-see; Italian pah-pah-raht-tsee]. /ˌpɑ pəˈrɑt si; Italian ˌpɑ pɑˈrɑt tsi/.

a freelance photographer, especially one who takes candid pictures of celebrities for publication.

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Origin of paparazzo

First recorded in 1965–70; from Italian, from the surname of such a photographer in Federico Fellini's La dolce vita (1959), after the name of a hotelkeeper in George Gissing's By the Ionian Sea (1901), read by Fellini in an Italian translation at the time of the movie's production

Words nearby paparazzo

papalism, papalize, Papal States, Papandreou, Papanicolaou test, paparazzo, papauma, papaveraceous, papaverine, papaw, papaya

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use paparazzo in a sentence

Throw in the paparazzi, whose profits have been shrinking in the wake of digital media and the pandemic, and it’s a recipe for angry parents and chaos.
The latest ‘paparazzi versus celebrity kids’ fight has been raging for nearly a decade. And it’s still complicated.|Emily Yahr|July 29, 2021|Washington Post
The shadowy vibe reflects the atmosphere surrounding her at the time, with songs like the glitchy paparazzi rebuke “Piece of Me” and the spare synth pop banger “Radar” feeling of the always-on digital age.
Britney Spears’ Pop Legacy Goes Way Beyond Her Music|Maura Johnston|July 21, 2021|Time
Crippling anxiety combined with punishing, sordid attention thrust upon her by paparazzi and others fueled much publicized breakdowns in 2007 and 2008.
Slave 4 U: Britney Spears & Conservatorship|Sean Culligan|June 21, 2021|Ozy
Within minutes, the paparazzo had told them where to find Remini.
Texts Reveal How the Church of Scientology Shadowed Leah Remini and Jennifer Lopez|Tony Ortega|June 17, 2021|The Daily Beast

Both are victims of intense and intrusive attention from the entertainment paparazzi.
Naomi Osaka: The Athletes Aren’t OK|Sean Culligan|June 2, 2021|Ozy
Paparazzo was, in fact, the name of a photographer in his film.
Exposed: Paparazzi vs. the Stars Over the Past 50 Years|Sarah Moroz|February 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Knox still finds herself ambushed by an occasional paparazzo, her callbox buzzed by a Daily Beast reporter.
What Amanda Knox Is Up to Now|Winston Ross, Barbie Latza Nadeau|March 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
When the paparazzo pestered him again, asking, “So he could do without the Grammys?”
Justin Bieber Freaks Out Over Grammys, Feuds With the Black Keys|Marlow Stern|February 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“We called him BK Boy and he gets upset,” says a New York City paparazzo who frequently stalks the couple.
Anne Hathaway's New Fiancé, Adam Shulman, a Mystery Man|Diane Herbst|December 6, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The paparazzo ruffled and out a functioning camera, then threatened Madoff Mack with a lawsuit.
Madoff's Daughter-in-Law Speaks Out|Sara Gilford|October 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for paparazzo

paparazzo

/ (ˌpæpəˈrætsəʊ) /

noun plural -razzi (-ˈrætsiː)

a freelance photographer who specializes in candid camera shots of famous people and often invades their privacy to obtain such photographs

Word Origin for paparazzo

C20: from Italian

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

paparazzo

Origin of paparazzo

Words nearby paparazzo

Words related to paparazzo

How to use paparazzo in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for paparazzo

Word Origin for paparazzo