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• nasty
  nasty

  adjective

  physically filthy; disgustingly unclean.
• -nasty
  -nasty

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

nasty

¹ American  

[nas-tee] / ˈnæs ti /

adjective

• nastier,
  comparative
• nastiest
  superlative

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.

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noun

• nasties
  plural

1. Informal. a nasty person or thing.

-nasty ² American  

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

   hyponasty.

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nasty ¹ British  

/ 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

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noun

1. an offensive or unpleasant person or thing

   a video nasty

-nasty ² British  

combining form

1. indicating a nastic movement to a certain stimulus

   nyctinasty

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nastiness
  noun
• nastily
  adverb
• -nastic
  combining form

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• nasties
  plural

Adjectives

• nastier
  comparative
• nastiest
  superlative

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Etymology

Origin of nasty¹

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

Origin of -nasty²

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

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Explanation

Something nasty is filthy, foul, dirty, or awful. Nasty isn't a word for anything nice. The main meaning of nasty is for things that are unpleasant and very gross. If someone throws up in class, at least one student will probably say, "That's nasty!" The smell of a bathroom is nasty. A song full of dirty words is nasty in a different way. Nasty can also mean "extremely." In football, a vicious hit can be called a nasty hit. A mean person is a nasty person too.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nasty nasties nastier nastiest

Reflecting on the early years of Welsh devolution, former Welsh government adviser Prof David Reynolds said ministers had been seeking change "by being nice to people rather than being nasty".

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Then Scott had the inning of his Dodgers career in the eighth — sitting down the Braves’ 3-4-5 hitters with a nasty array of sliders and fastballs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

But HOAs can also add to the likelihood that you will get an unexpected, even nasty surprise just as you are about to close the sale.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026

In an interview, Bonta said the states weren’t interested in potential remedies or asset spinoffs to avoid a nasty courtroom brawl.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

Cat couldn’t stand kids who had to be so nasty.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

Some nasties, including dioxins, can be broken down by fungi and microbes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2025

Think of what you step in outside: Shoes can carry all kinds of nasties, including pesticides and bacteria such as E. coli.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 15, 2024

AMR is a broad phenomenon, but simply describes when our tools defending against deadly microscopic nasties stop working.

From Salon ● Mar. 9, 2024

The researchers tested the principles of AI-aided antibiotic discovery in E. coli in 2020, but have now used that knowledge to focus on the big nasties.

From BBC ● May 25, 2023

I looked around the band hall, sure that Rachel was going to make a bunch of bloodthirsty nasties pop out of the walls; but we were still alone.

From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan

I’ll touch on three of the nastier downsides, starting with bad tenants.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

Some could get nastier surprises if the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

Watch as the fluid camerawork makes her kills look nastier, and the preposterous script allows her to outwit her foes, even with the cards stacked against her at every turn.

From Salon ● Mar. 29, 2026

"H3 is always a hotter virus, it's a nastier virus, it's more impactful on the population," said Prof Lewis.

From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2025

If there was a meaner, nastier animal within one hundred miles, George’s horse would have run it down out of spite, eaten it, then maybe stuffed it as some kind of trophy.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Even Leo Stein, the American expatriate proponent of avant-garde art, called it “brilliant and powerful, but the nastiest smear of paint I had ever seen.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

That gets my vote for the single nastiest opinion of 2025.

From Slate ● Jan. 3, 2026

One of the largest, priciest and nastiest proxy contests in history will come to a head on Wednesday, when Disney is scheduled to virtually host its annual shareholder meeting.

From New York Times ● Apr. 3, 2024

One X user slammed DDG and his “embarrassing antics,” while another said “the whole song is the nastiest thing he could’ve done” to his girlfriend.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 7, 2024

Then I had to undergo the nastiest sort of drills to make sure I had my story straight.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

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Related Words

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

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