nasty

[ nas-tee ]

/ ˈnæs ti /

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See synonyms for: nasty / nastiness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, nas·ti·er, nas·ti·est.

physically filthy; disgustingly unclean: a nasty pigsty of a room.

offensive to taste or smell; nauseating: This ointment is really nasty—couldn't they make it smell less vile?

offensive; objectionable: a nasty habit.

vicious, spiteful, or unkind: a nasty dog;a nasty rumor.

bad or hard to deal with, encounter, undergo, etc.; dangerous; serious: a nasty cut;a nasty accident.

very unpleasant or disagreeable: nasty weather.

morally filthy; obscene; indecent: a nasty word.

Slang. formidable: the raw, nasty power of this engine;a young pitcher with a nasty slider.

noun, plural nas·ties.

Informal. a nasty person or thing.

OTHER WORDS FOR nasty

1 dirty, foul, grimy, begrimed, soiled, tainted.

2 sickening, repulsive, repellent.

4 mean, malicious, malevolent; bitchy, catty, ugly.

6 stormy, inclement. 7 smutty, pornographic.

See synonyms for nasty on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR nasty

1 clean, immaculate, spotless, unstained, unsoiled.

See antonyms for nasty on Thesaurus.com

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We have a challenge that will make you blush: do you know the many words and ways to describe the opposite of red?

Question 1 of 7

Which of the following colors is used to symbolize AIR?

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Origin of nasty

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, further origin unknown

OTHER WORDS FROM nasty

nas·ti·ly, adverbnas·ti·ness, noun

Other definitions for nasty (2 of 2)

-nasty

a combining form with the meaning “nastic pressure,” of the kind or in the direction specified by the initial element: hyponasty.

Origin of -nasty

<Greek nast(ós) pressed close (see nastic) + -y³

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use nasty in a sentence

An aerial image shows what appears to be a spa, roiling water apparently carrying no nasty connotations.
The Luxury Homes That Torture and Your Tax Dollars Built|Michael Daly|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It may not be a story the Vatican wants told, but such nasty behavior is also a part of the Renaissance.
Great Renaissance Art Thrived Amid Filth|Nick Romeo|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
No one needs to be reminded that the men in charge in Damascus and Tehran are really nasty guys.
There’s Only One Way to Beat ISIS: Work With Assad and Iran|Leslie H. Gelb|October 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So is Sam Lutfi a legitimate manager or just a nasty opportunist?
Sam Lutfi Is Young Hollywood’s Most Infamous Svengali|Amy Zimmerman|October 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Use him as the poster child for a nasty, devilish lobbying group being the de facto fourth branch of government.
Where the Hell Is the Surgeon General?|Roland S. Martin|October 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the nasty part of the whole thing was, that Haggard had won eleven thousand pounds from a weak-headed boy.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
But if people will insist on patting a strange poet, they mustn't be surprised if they get a nasty bite!
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 107, November 3, 1894|Various
The nasty scandal at the Pandemonium had been particularly irritating to Haggard personally.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
You pouted and sulked, and had a great fight with nurse, for bringing a nasty boy into the house.
The World Before Them|Susanna Moodie
I'm a nasty cross old thing before lunch, Mr. Wentworth, so I don't come down till afterwards nowadays.
First Plays|A. A. Milne

British Dictionary definitions for nasty (1 of 2)

nasty

/ (ˈnɑːstɪ) /

adjective -tier or -tiest

unpleasant, offensive, or repugnant

(of an experience, condition, etc) unpleasant, dangerous, or painfula nasty wound

spiteful, abusive, or ill-natured

obscene or indecent

nasty piece of work British informal a cruel or mean person

noun plural -ties

an offensive or unpleasant person or thinga video nasty

Derived forms of nasty

nastily, adverbnastiness, noun

Word Origin for nasty

C14: origin obscure; probably related to Swedish dialect nasket and Dutch nestig dirty

British Dictionary definitions for nasty (2 of 2)

-nasty

n combining form

indicating a nastic movement to a certain stimulusnyctinasty

Derived forms of -nasty

-nastic, adj combining form

Word Origin for -nasty

from Greek nastos pressed down, close-pressed

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

nasty

OTHER WORDS FOR nasty

OPPOSITES FOR nasty

Origin of nasty

OTHER WORDS FROM nasty

Other definitions for nasty (2 of 2)

Origin of -nasty

Words related to nasty

How to use nasty in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nasty (1 of 2)

Derived forms of nasty

Word Origin for nasty

British Dictionary definitions for nasty (2 of 2)

Derived forms of -nasty

Word Origin for -nasty