nasty

adjective

nas·​ty ˈna-stē 

nastier; nastiest

1

a

: disgustingly filthy

nasty living conditions

b

: physically repugnant

a nasty taste

2

: indecent, obscene

nasty language

3

: mean, tawdry

… living a cheap and nasty life …

—George Bernard Shaw

4

a

: extremely hazardous (see hazardous sense 1) or harmful

a nasty undertow

b

: causing severe pain or suffering

a nasty wound

a nasty fall

c

: sharply unpleasant : disagreeable

nasty weather

5

a

: difficult to understand or deal with

a nasty problem

a nasty curveball

b

: psychologically unsettling : trying

a nasty fear that she was lost

6

: lacking in courtesy or sportsmanship

a nasty trick

nastily

ˈna-stə-lē 

adverb

nastiness

ˈna-stē-nəs 

noun

nasty noun

Synonyms of nasty

• dirty
• pitiful
• lame
• cheap
• wretched
• hateful
• disgusting
• mean
• vile
• sorry

Choose the Right Synonym for nasty

dirty, filthy, foul, nasty, squalid mean conspicuously unclean or impure.

dirty emphasizes the presence of dirt more than an emotional reaction to it.

a dirty littered street

filthy carries a strong suggestion of offensiveness and typically of gradually accumulated dirt that begrimes and besmears.

a stained greasy floor, utterly filthy

foul implies extreme offensiveness and an accumulation of what is rotten or stinking.

a foul-smelling open sewer

nasty applies to what is actually foul or is repugnant to one expecting freshness, cleanliness, or sweetness.

it's a nasty job to clean up after a sick cat

In practice, nasty is often weakened to the point of being no more than a synonym of unpleasant or disagreeable.

had a nasty fall

his answer gave her a nasty shock

squalid adds to the idea of dirtiness and filth that of slovenly neglect.

squalid slums

All these terms are also applicable to moral uncleanness or baseness or obscenity.

dirty then stresses meanness or despicableness,

don't ask me to do your dirty work

while filthy and foul describe disgusting obscenity or loathsome behavior,

filthy street language

a foul story of lust and greed

and nasty implies a peculiarly offensive unpleasantness.

a stand-up comedian known for nasty humor

Distinctively, squalid implies sordidness as well as baseness and dirtiness.

engaged in a series of squalid affairs

Examples of nasty in a Sentence

She has a nasty habit of biting her fingernails.

The medicine left a nasty taste in my mouth.

That nasty old man yelled at me just for stepping on his lawn!

He sent a nasty letter to the company.

She's got quite a nasty temper.

He said lots of downright nasty things about her.

She called him a few nasty names and left.

Recent Examples on the Web

The six-time NBA All-Star and 2018 Sam Dunk Contest champion Mitchell also got up for some nasty slam dunks, inspired by his partner. —Lars Brandle, Billboard, 26 Dec. 2025

Sharp seeds like foxtails or grass awns can embed in the skin and turn into a nasty abscess or actually work under the hide and migrate into your dog’s organs. —Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 24 Dec. 2025

That was a nasty way to end the game. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 24 Dec. 2025

By Friday night, the wave of nasty weather is expected to have moved into Southern California, and a period of dry, cold time is expected to follow, Behringer said. —Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing nasty

• a nasty piece of work
• video nasty

Rhymes for nasty

• costae
• pasty
• angioplasty
• keratoplasty
• arthroplasty

Kids Definition

nasty

adjective

nas·​ty ˈnas-tē 

nastier; nastiest

1

: very dirty or foul : filthy

2

: morally disgusting or degrading

3

: disagreeable sense 1, unpleasant

nasty weather

4

: spiteful, ill-natured

a nasty temper

a nasty trick

5

: harmful, dangerous

a nasty fall on the ice

nastily

-tə-lē 

adverb

nastiness

-tē-nəs 

noun