arty

[ ahr-tee ]
See synonyms for arty on Thesaurus.com
adjective,art·i·er, art·i·est.Informal.
  1. characterized by a showy, pretentious, and often spurious display of artistic interest, manner, or mannerism.

Origin of arty

1
First recorded in 1900–05; art1 + -y1

Other words from arty

  • art·i·ly, adverb
  • art·i·ness, noun

Words Nearby arty

Other definitions for Arty (2 of 3)

Arty
[ ahr-tee ]

noun
  1. a male given name, form of Arthur.

Other definitions for Arty. (3 of 3)

Arty.

abbreviation
  1. Artillery.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use arty in a sentence

  • In every church—and there arty 866 of them—some score or two of masses are said daily at the different altars.

    Rule of the Monk | Giuseppe Garibaldi
  • No, really, I like some of the others—four or five of them; but I don't like arty.

    The Tragic Muse | Henry James
  • As regards anything arty or Crafty his attitude is merely appreciative—he is finishing up his last year of law at Columbia.

    Young People's Pride | Stephen Vincent Benet
  • To think I should never see arty again, would make me die before my time!

    There and Back | George MacDonald
  • Peter thought, perceiving that Mrs. Lovick's "arty" was now altogether one of the family.

    The Tragic Muse | Henry James

British Dictionary definitions for arty

arty

US artsy

/ (ˈɑːtɪ) /


adjectiveartier or artiest
  1. informal having an ostentatious or affected interest in or desire to imitate artists or artistic standards

Derived forms of arty

  • artiness, noun

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