1
as in dirty
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
fortunately, the story's nasty characters are balanced by some truly good people
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ugly
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
a nasty horror movie that was so violent that I could hardly watch the opening scenes
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3
as in painful
causing or feeling bodily pain
a nasty cut on my lip
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4
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society
nasty magazines that are not sold to minors
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5
as in malicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it
nasty comments that trolls left on the website
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6
as in turbulent
marked by wet and windy conditions
bring your raincoat, as the weather's supposed to be nasty
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7
as in filthy
not clean
it's incredibly nasty inside that garbage bin, so stay away from there
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8
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses
the smell of those old leftovers is downright nasty
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9
as in unsettling
causing worry or anxiety
she had the nasty sense that she'd made a mistake somewhere
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10
as in foul
not being in accordance with the rules or standards of what is fair in sport
a nasty hit got the hockey player suspended
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11
as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
that was a nasty trick to play on people who were so trusting
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12
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
given the high-ranking people involved, it will be a nasty job to hammer out a compromise
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of nasty
The problems began when Hochstein’s boyfriend Jody Glidden didn’t unfollow Pippen’s ex, Marcus Jordan, after their nasty split.
—
Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
Also known as Lonnie Lincoln, Tombstone is one of New York’s nastiest crime bosses — a Marvel villain who is a recurring foil to Spidey in the comics.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2025
The show is set just two years before the USCSS Nostromo crew touched down on LV-426, and brought something very nasty on board.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Eddie’s answer was a little nastier than that.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nasty
Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
Also known as Lonnie Lincoln, Tombstone is one of New York’s nastiest crime bosses — a Marvel villain who is a recurring foil to Spidey in the comics.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2025
The show is set just two years before the USCSS Nostromo crew touched down on LV-426, and brought something very nasty on board.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Eddie’s answer was a little nastier than that.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nasty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nasty
Adjective
-
For both areas, Painter hit the transfer portal and landed a dirty-work center in Cluff.—
CJ Moore,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Far from a knightly war, the German advance in 1941-1942 against France was a dirty one, with thieving of private property and menace against civilians.—
Christopher C. Gorham
September 29,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
As if the Twins hadn’t experienced enough misery, September opened at home with an ugly, four-game sweep by the White Sox, who lost at least 100 games for the third year in a row.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
When the Motion Picture Association of America joined the consortium, in 2014, the fight grew uglier.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The result is the year’s most daring TV performance, rooted in a painful, just barely recognizable humanity.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The company said its offering, akin to online tax preparation software, could help students maximize financial aid while making the application process less painful.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Banners or signs may not be commercial in nature or obscene, or cause any disturbance to other fans.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was docked $14,491 for making an obscene gesture after a big catch.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Servers running on motherboards sold by Supermicro contain high-severity vulnerabilities that can allow hackers to remotely install malicious firmware that runs even before the operating system, making infections impossible to detect or remove without unusual protections in place.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Palace’s results this season are all the more impressive on the back of a turbulent summer that was totally overshadowed by the decisions made by UEFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport to demote the club from the Europa League to the Conference League.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
While hundreds of people who were arrested went free without charge during that turbulent year, prosecutors are now pointing to those past protests in a warning to people who hope to send a message about ICE.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Trying to expose the trafficking, abuse, and the filthy networks that protect the wealthy and powerful puts you in danger.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Unitree claims that the G1 is made to handle difficult, filthy, and repetitive jobs in a variety of settings, including at homes, factories, and hospitals.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But the ever-reliable consumer is beginning to look shaky, courtesy of an unpleasant mix of a stagnating job market and sticky inflation.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The power is accompanied by a loud, unpleasant exhaust note.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nasty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nasty. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.
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