Meanings
nounshutterbug (plural shutterbugs)
plural shutterbugs
- informalA person who makes a hobby of photography.
She was contrite, but presented herself as just another frustrated shutterbug with access to Photoshop.
2024 March 11, Mark Landler, “Even Photoshop Can’t Erase Royals’ Latest P.R. Blemish”, in The New York Times, →ISSN1 more example
Aerial photography was coming into its own, and flying shutterbugs pushed the envelope, striving to outsnap each other.
1992, Popular Mechanics, volume 169, number 11, page 18
Origin
From shutter + bug, from their tendency to work the camera's shutter frequently.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian фотограф любител
- фотограф любител (fotograf ljubitel)person who makes a hobby of photography
Chinese Mandarin 色友
- 色友 (sèyǒu)person who makes a hobby of photography
Finnish valokuvauksen harrastaja, kamerahullu
- valokuvauksen harrastajaperson who makes a hobby of photography
- kamerahulluperson who makes a hobby of photography
German Amateurfotograf, Amateurfotografin
- Amateurfotografperson who makes a hobby of photography
- Amateurfotografinperson who makes a hobby of photography
- Hobbyfotografperson who makes a hobby of photography
- Hobbyfotografinperson who makes a hobby of photography
Russian фотолюби́тель, фотолюби́тельница
- фотолюби́тель (fotoljubítelʹ)person who makes a hobby of photography
- фотолюби́тельница (fotoljubítelʹnica)person who makes a hobby of photography
Swedish amatörfotograf
- amatörfotografperson who makes a hobby of photography
Ukrainian фотолюби́тель
- фотолюби́тель (fotoljubýtelʹ)person who makes a hobby of photography
Cite this entry
APA
shutterbug. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shutterbug
MLA
“shutterbug.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shutterbug. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shutterbug,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shutterbug.
Source: shutterbug on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.