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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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. 2023

How to use nasty in a sentence

There are growing concerns that a nasty second wave of infections could be a knockout blow for the economy.
As COVID spreads across Europe, a weary continent goes back into lockdown|David Meyer|November 7, 2020|Fortune
Now, it’s important to note that the silver trade is prone to nasty bumps.
The October markets rally shows no signs of cooling off|Bernhard Warner|October 9, 2020|Fortune
Its low-noise design means you won’t have to deal with annoying whirring sounds and the obstacle sensor helps avoid any nasty collisions.
Electronics and exercise gear that make excellent gifts|PopSci Commerce Team|October 8, 2020|Popular-Science
Multiple sock-puppet accounts are where you get some of the nastiest stuff on other platforms.
A new social-media platform wants to enforce “kindness.” Can that ever work?|Tanya Basu|October 7, 2020|MIT Technology Review

From there, in most cases, clean water carries the nasty stuff out of the home through a system of pipes.
A dirty and growing problem: Too few toilets|Stephanie Parker|September 24, 2020|Science News For Students
David Foster Wallace nastily imagined readers “under 40” asking about Updike, in a 1997 essay.
Writing Off Updike|Lee Siegel|February 1, 2009|DAILY BEAST
They rattled nastily as they struck corrugated-iron roofs, and popped when they found billets in the walls of nipa houses.
The Code of the Mountains|Charles Neville Buck
That lightning-like change swept his face again, twisting his lips nastily, stamping all his features with something totally bad.
Once to Every Man|Larry Evans
There are inventions of great value that one type of society can use—and that would, for another society, be most nastily deadly!
Thin Edge|Gordon Randall Garrett
If I do these things just after Jackson has passed I catch it nastily, just about the rear buffers.
Punch or the London Charivari, October 20, 1920|Various
The little Parsnip-man grinned so nastily at me, and such a loud noise came out of the stove—and I let him fall!
Miscellanea|Juliana Horatia Ewing

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