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Synonyms

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.

Arty 2 American  
[ahr-tee] / ˈɑr ti /

noun

  1. a first name, form of Arthur.

Arty. 3 American  

abbreviation

  1. Artillery.

arty British  
/ ˈɑːtɪ /

adjective

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

"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

Other Word Forms

  • artily adverb
  • artiness noun

Etymology

Origin of arty

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Ralphs’ songwriting and guitar work in that band helped move rock ‘n’ roll out of the psychedelic ‘60s and into the struts and arty pomp of ‘70s glam.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2025

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 • Jun. 1, 2025

I’m a health food-eating meditator who is rather arty.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 8, 2024

“On me, they kind of pass as super, superthick arty frames.”

From Slate • Sep. 26, 2024

A prep school kid, a touch arty, wearing an old man’s suit and no doubt reading Camus or Kerouac.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.