arty

¹ American  

[ahr-tee] / ˈɑr ti /

adjective

Informal.

artier, artiest

1. characterized by a showy, pretentious, and often spurious display of artistic interest, manner, or mannerism.

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Arty ² American  

[ahr-tee] / ˈɑr ti /

noun

1. a first name, form of Arthur.

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Arty. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. Artillery.

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arty British  

/ ˈɑːtɪ /

adjective

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

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Other Word Forms

• artily adverb
• artiness noun

Etymology

Origin of arty

First recorded in 1900–05; art ¹ + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Structurally and tonally, it’s a far cry from the crowd-pleasing American blockbusters of the 1980s, yet it is a box-office success and reflects that audiences were ready for artier movies as mainstream entertainment.

From The Wall Street Journal

What obviously matters to Stewart is the totality of experience and “The Chronology of Water,” arty and naturalistic in equal measure, is no toe-dip into directing — it’s deep-end stuff from start to finish.

From Los Angeles Times

When I told his agent that it was a very short, tight shoot, his agent said, “There is no project too small or too arty for David.”

From Los Angeles Times

Gregory, however, says he understood Dickinson’s artier touches on a personal level.

From Los Angeles Times

His three sisters - Rachel, Tanya and Fiona - remember him as an "arty, sporty" brother who was keen on the environment and loved running in the Scottish hills.

From BBC

Related Words

• pretentious