spaghetti western: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowSpecialist, Informal, Colloquial
Quick answer
What does “spaghetti western” mean?
A subgenre of western films, typically produced and directed by Italians, popular in the 1960s and 1970s.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A subgenre of western films, typically produced and directed by Italians, popular in the 1960s and 1970s.
A term that can be extended to describe any cultural product, especially a film or story, that imitates or heavily borrows from a genre outside its country of origin, characterized by a distinct style, low budget, and often raw, stylized violence.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in definition or usage.
Connotations
Slightly more of a niche, cinephile term in both varieties. In the UK, it may carry a slightly stronger connotation of 'foreign-made B-movie'.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both, used primarily in film criticism, reviews, and discussions of cinematic history.
Grammar
How to Use “spaghetti western” in a Sentence
[Film/Director] is a classic spaghetti western.The film has the aesthetic of a spaghetti western.He starred in several spaghetti westerns in the 60s.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “spaghetti western” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The film had a very spaghetti-western feel to its cinematography.
American English
- He composed a spaghetti-western-style soundtrack for the video game.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Academic
Used in film studies and cultural criticism to denote a specific, historically situated cinematic movement.
Everyday
Used in casual conversation about movies, often by film enthusiasts.
Technical
A technical term in cinematography and genre studies.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “spaghetti western”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “spaghetti western”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “spaghetti western”
- Misspelling as 'spagetti western'.
- Using it to describe any non-American western.
- Capitalizing it as a proper noun (usually not capitalized).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It's a humorous, slightly derogatory term coined by American critics because these Westerns were made by Italian directors and production companies, spaghetti being a stereotypical Italian food.
Yes, Clint Eastwood rose to international fame starring in Sergio Leone's 'Dollars Trilogy' of spaghetti westerns in the 1960s.
The classic period ended in the late 1970s. However, modern films are often heavily influenced by their style and are sometimes called 'neo-spaghetti westerns' or simply homages.
Spaghetti westerns are typically more morally ambiguous, stylistically exaggerated (with close-ups, unique sound design), and were made on lower budgets in European locations, unlike the more idealized, studio-backed Hollywood westerns of the same era.
A subgenre of western films, typically produced and directed by Italians, popular in the 1960s and 1970s.
Spaghetti western is usually specialist, informal, colloquial in register.
Spaghetti western: in British English it is pronounced /spəˌɡeti ˈwestən/, and in American English it is pronounced /spəˌɡɛdi ˈwɛstərn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[Not a true idiom, but used figuratively] 'That political campaign was a real spaghetti western—all style, dubious substance, and shot in a foreign land.'”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a cowboy trying to eat a plate of spaghetti with his ten-gallon hat on, in a desert filmed in Italy. The awkward mix reminds you it's an 'Italian Western'.
Conceptual Metaphor
GENRE IS CUISINE (A specific type of a cultural product is metaphorically named after a national dish, highlighting its foreign origin and distinctive 'flavour').
Practice
Quiz
What is a defining characteristic of a spaghetti western?