spaghetti western

American  

noun

Informal.

1. a low-budget western movie shot in Italy or Spain, usually with Italian actors and an American star.

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spaghetti western British  

noun

1. a cowboy film about the American West made, esp by an Italian director, in Europe

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Etymology

Origin of spaghetti western

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Based on her hit 2018 stage play of the same name, Harris’ film is a road movie meeting a spaghetti western, with a dash of “Set It Off” gone Tarantino.

From Salon • May 19, 2026

A music fan would enjoy the new album by the Ecuadorean Swiss brothers Hermanos Gutiérrez, whose instrumental guitarscapes sound like a psychedelic spaghetti western.

From New York Times • Jun. 6, 2024

West Seattle’s foremost purveyor of alt-country noir is back with another scintillating set of spaghetti western ditties marked by Amaker’s unmistakable baritone, which is equal parts folksy and sinister.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 19, 2024

The daughter is pop '80s/'90s, the grandmother, who tells tall tales as many grandmothers do, is a spaghetti western, and the mother, who is still traumatized by Iran, is a neorealist Kiarostami film.

From Salon • Oct. 26, 2023

‘A Fistful of Dollars’ Running through Sept. 16, an 11-film salute to Clint Eastwood kicks off with the gruff-voiced, squinty-eyed star shooting up the screen in Sergio Leone’s classic 1967 spaghetti western.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 3, 2021