Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for nasty

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. 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

Discover More

Derived Forms

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

Discover More

Other Words From

  • nas·ti·ly adverb
  • nas·ti·ness noun

Discover More

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

Discover More

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

Discover More

Example Sentences

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Advertisement

Word of the Day

inveterate

[in-vet-er-it ]

Meaning and examples

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


nasturtiumnasute