nasty

¹

[ nas-tee ]

adjective

, nas·ti·er, nas·ti·est.

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 nas·ties.

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. nasty piece of work informal.
   nasty piece of work 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

Derived Forms

• ˈnastiness, noun
• ˈnastily, adverb
• -nastic, combining_form:in_adjective

Other Words From

• nas·ti·ly adverb
• nas·ti·ness noun

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

You have to be infallible, and if you’re not, people will have a lot of nasty things to say.

From Ozy

So far no one has been hurt, but chlorine fumes can be nasty so locals are advised to stay inside their homes.

From Popular-Science

It’s also grown nastier as both Hagerty and Sethi try to one-up each other in proving their conservative bona fides.

From FiveThirtyEight

Though it sounds a bit nasty, winds can blow fungi and mold spores like a thick cloud.

From Science News For Students

Whether that’s the intent of the medication doesn’t mean it won’t be a nasty side effect.

From Freakonomics

An aerial image shows what appears to be a spa, roiling water apparently carrying no nasty connotations.

From The Daily Beast

It may not be a story the Vatican wants told, but such nasty behavior is also a part of the Renaissance.

From The Daily Beast

No one needs to be reminded that the men in charge in Damascus and Tehran are really nasty guys.

From The Daily Beast

So is Sam Lutfi a legitimate manager or just a nasty opportunist?

From The Daily Beast

Use him as the poster child for a nasty, devilish lobbying group being the de facto fourth branch of government.

From The Daily Beast

But the nasty part of the whole thing was, that Haggard had won eleven thousand pounds from a weak-headed boy.

From Project Gutenberg

But if people will insist on patting a strange poet, they mustn't be surprised if they get a nasty bite!

From Project Gutenberg

The nasty scandal at the Pandemonium had been particularly irritating to Haggard personally.

From Project Gutenberg

You pouted and sulked, and had a great fight with nurse, for bringing a nasty boy into the house.

From Project Gutenberg

I'm a nasty cross old thing before lunch, Mr. Wentworth, so I don't come down till afterwards nowadays.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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