artsy-fartsy

A form of arty-farty — Pretentiously artistic; self-important or self-indulgent, especially when describing an artistic project.

Meanings

adjectiveartsy-fartsy (comparative artsy-fartsier, superlative artsy-fartsiest)

comparative artsy-fartsier · superlative artsy-fartsiest

  1. alternativeAlternative form of arty-farty.

    Also peppered throughout are a few off-kilter and diverse jams that might represent what Spears was talking about when she said she wanted Glory to be “artsy fartsy.”

    2016 August 26, Spencer Kornhaber, “Britney Spears Finds Grace in the Hook-Up on 'Glory'”, in The Atlantic
    1 more example

    Last thing you wanna do is talk shop at a party, so no artsy-fartsy chitchat. If you need to leave, tap me on my shoulder, and we're outie. Unless I have a honey on the line, in which case, hoof it, capiche?

    2019, Mike Oppenhuizen, “Y.G.A.G.G.” (17:13 from the start), in Wendey Stanzler, director, Atypical, season 3, episode 4, spoken by Zahid (Nik Dodani), via Netflix
Cite this entry
APA

artsy-fartsy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/artsy-fartsy

MLA

“artsy-fartsy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/artsy-fartsy. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “artsy-fartsy,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/artsy-fartsy.

Source: artsy-fartsy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.