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

If you believe the headlines, it would mean that we can slash our risk of a really nasty form of cancer with just a few florets of cauliflower a day.

From Slate

So maybe this is just Kavanaugh’s MO; he signs on to these nasty, unfounded criticisms of lower court judges, and then walks it back later on.

From Slate

The teammates came out of the dugout and pushed Ripken down the first-base line, and off Ripken went on a victory lap around the stadium that delayed the game for 22 minutes and 15 seconds and helped pull baseball out of the doldrums caused by a nasty work stoppage that forced the cancellation of the 1994 World Series.

From Los Angeles Times

“Three days ago, while admiring the stonework, I happened to notice a huge gash in the limestone that extended more than 25 yards long. It was deep and nasty!” he wrote.

From Salon

"You just feel nasty, you feel dirty," the 30-year-old says.

From BBC

Related Words

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