piñata

noun

pi·ña·ta pēn-ˈyä-tə

pin-

variants or pinata

: a decorated vessel (such as of papier-mâché) filled with candies, fruits, and gifts and hung up to be broken with sticks by blindfolded persons as part of especially Latin American festivities (as at Christmas or for a birthday party)

Examples of piñata in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Face painting, crafts, pinatas and big Conga Parade for kids. — Caroline Ritzie, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 That’s when the game turned into a pinata — the Panthers with the stick, the Canes busted wide open. — Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 25 May 2025 Birthday pinata If there is a birthday on the horizon, use the Halloween candy to stuff the pinata. — Metro Creative Services, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025 Arizona’s bullpen pinatas were Andrew Hoffmann (charged with four runs) and Andrew Saalfrank (charged with two). — Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 17 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for piñata

Word History

Etymology

Spanish piñata, literally, pot, from Italian pignatta, probably from pigna pine cone — more at pignoli

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of piñata was in 1868

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Piñata.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pi%C3%B1ata. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

piñata

noun

pi·ña·ta pēn-ˈyät-ə

: a decorated container filled with candies, fruits, and gifts which is hung up to be broken open with sticks by blindfolded persons during festivities

Etymology

Spanish, literally, "pot"

piñata

noun

Illustration of piñata

Examples of piñata in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gambol

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes