nasty

¹

[nas-tee]

adjective

nastier, nastiest 

1. physically filthy; disgustingly unclean.

   a nasty pigsty of a room.

   Synonyms: grimy, foul, dirty
   Antonyms: unstained, spotless, immaculate, clean

2. offensive to taste or smell; nauseating.

   This ointment is really nasty—couldn't they make it smell less vile?

   Synonyms: ugly, catty, bitchy, malevolent, malicious, mean, repellent, repulsive, sickening

3. offensive; objectionable.

   a nasty habit.

4. vicious, spiteful, or unkind.

   a nasty dog;

   a nasty rumor.

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

   a nasty cut;

   a nasty accident.

6. very unpleasant or disagreeable.

   nasty weather.

   Synonyms: inclement, stormy

7. morally filthy; obscene; indecent.

   a nasty word.

   Synonyms: smutty

8. Slang.,  formidable: a young pitcher with a nasty slider.

   the raw, nasty power of this engine;

   a young pitcher with a nasty slider.

noun

plural

nasties 

1. Informal.,  a nasty person or thing.

-nasty

²

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

   hyponasty.

nasty

¹

/ ˈnɑːstɪ /

adjective

1. unpleasant, offensive, or repugnant

2. (of an experience, condition, etc) unpleasant, dangerous, or painful

   a nasty wound

3. spiteful, abusive, or ill-natured

4. obscene or indecent

5. informal,  a cruel or mean person

noun

1. an offensive or unpleasant person or thing

   a video nasty

-nasty

²

combining form

1. indicating a nastic movement to a certain stimulus

   nyctinasty

Other Word Forms

• nastily adverb
• nastiness noun
• -nastic combining form

Word History and Origins

Origin of nasty¹

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

Origin of nasty²

< Greek nast ( ós ) pressed close ( nastic ) + -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of nasty¹

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

Origin of nasty²

from Greek nastos pressed down, close-pressed

Example Sentences

"And it was pretty vicious, it was pretty nasty, it was absolutely directed in a very personal way at me."

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When it comes to business, the government will in part want to be judged on what it does not do in this Budget: no more nasty surprises, no blanket tax rises.

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“Wait, are you encouraging him to jump into that nasty water?”

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Another smelled like a pile of wet rope encrusted with seaweed and left to rot in the sun, and a nasty, fishy aroma it was.

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Penelope tried to kick a warning under the table, but her foot hit the admiral’s cane instead and gave a nasty stub to her toe.

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Related Words

• awful 
• dirty 
• fierce 
• horrible 
• icky 
• murderous 
• noxious 
• obnoxious 
• ornery 
• outrageous 
• rough 
• tough 
• unpleasant 
• vile 
• vulgar