arty

[ahr-tee]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR arty ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, art·i·er, art·i·est. Informal.

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

Also artsy.

Origin of arty

First recorded in 1900–05; art¹ + -y¹

Related formsart·i·ly, adverbart·i·ness, noun

Arty

[ahr-tee]

noun

a male given name, form of Arthur.

Arty.

Artillery.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for arty

pretentious, affected, deceptive, ephemeral, illusory, imitative, overblown, popular, pseudo, tasteless, false

Examples from the Web for arty

Contemporary Examples of arty

Cosmopolis is too arty and abstract, even by Cronenberg standards, to become a commercial success.
‘Cosmopolis’ Suggests ‘Twilight’ Star Robert Pattinson Can Act
Geoff Berkshire
August 16, 2012
Once she became a “pro”, however, she abandoned her arty ways and stuck to a more documentary style.
India's Modern Eye
Blake Gopnik
July 17, 2012

Historical Examples of arty

No, really, I like some of the others—four or five of them; but I don't like Arty.
The Tragic Muse
Henry James
They came as young as you, Arty, and as weak as you, but no one ever made them do wrong.
St. Winifred's
Frederic W. Farrar
Why, Arty, your illness is all the more reason why I should.
St. Winifred's
Frederic W. Farrar
Nonsense, Arty; the summer holidays will bring you round again.
St. Winifred's
Frederic W. Farrar
How they did go on about Wellintun, and what an arty contamp they ad for him!
Burlesques
William Makepeace Thackeray

British Dictionary definitions for arty

arty

US artsy

adjective artier or artiest

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

Derived Formsartiness, 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

Word Origin and History for arty

adj.

1901, "having artistic pretentions," from art (n.) + -y (2); cf. artsy.