arty

¹

[ahr-tee]

adjective

Informal.

artier, artiest 

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

Arty

²

[ahr-tee]

noun

1. a first name, form of Arthur.

Arty.

³

abbreviation

1. Artillery.

arty

/ ˈɑːtɪ /

adjective

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

Other Word Forms

• artily adverb
• artiness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of arty¹

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

Example Sentences

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

That work paid off with “I’m a TV,” Martin’s debut album of original songwriting that evokes the millennial indie they grew up on as well as the arty pop of the Largo canon.

From Los Angeles Times

It featured the same jackets-off, casual image, but there was also a designer chic, with an arty black-and-white picture that wouldn't have looked out of place in an upmarket jeans advert.

From BBC

Last year they were seen in a rather arty black and white picture, showing them together as a family, but also with a style that owed something to an upmarket jeans advert.

From BBC

The filmmaker’s 2015 debut feature, “The Witch,” was a landmark in elevated horror, and his remake of the original arty vampire movie, “Nosferatu,” arrives at Christmas.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• pretentious