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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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
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Recent Examples of nasty
That reunion would potentially be messy, and lead to some nasty name calling, but professional golf is better when all of the names are concentrated in the same tournament rather than spread out over two leagues.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Aug. 2025
Whereas the Star Wars sequels woefully misused the actor's talents, this movie puts them center stage, playing one of the teen hoodlums who join forces with their victim to fight off nasty, otherworldly invaders.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Things could be reversed if prompt actions are taken to get vaccination rates back up again before the different nasty microbes can spread too far in the U.S. population.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
The rest of Donetsk – principally the towns of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk – is a much nastier prospect.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nasty
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Aug. 2025
Whereas the Star Wars sequels woefully misused the actor's talents, this movie puts them center stage, playing one of the teen hoodlums who join forces with their victim to fight off nasty, otherworldly invaders.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Things could be reversed if prompt actions are taken to get vaccination rates back up again before the different nasty microbes can spread too far in the U.S. population.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
The rest of Donetsk – principally the towns of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk – is a much nastier prospect.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nasty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nasty
Adjective
-
Cleaning your garbage can is dirty work, but regular scrubbing will keep odors at bay and bugs away.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
24 Aug. 2025
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From day one, The Whispers was about Drill, an alien force that was using children to do its dirty work.—
James Mercadante,
EW.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This obviously created some hard feelings and things got very ugly.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Aug. 2025
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The stan fighting quickly turned ugly; a fan posted a racist meme of Huda as the police officer who murdered George Floyd, with Olandria’s face pasted on Floyd’s.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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There was also a subplot about Derek going through a painful divorce.—
Rob Reiner,
New Yorker,
27 Aug. 2025
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The advisory underscored that high temperatures could trigger a spectrum of medical problems—from painful muscle cramps to life-threatening heat stroke—especially among sensitive groups.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Part of that obscene number is the Never Say Die Ladies Turf Sprint.—
Danny Brewer,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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Brooklyn prosecutors charged him with misdemeanor assault, as well as menacing, reckless endangerment, possession of obscene material, interference with a professional sporting event, weapons possession and other charges, officials said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Here is another example from my work: a luxury brand facing daily phishing attacks receives real-time alerts with direct links to malicious sites, allowing their legal team to act immediately.—
Dima Raketa,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
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Whether for malicious purposes or simply research, someone appears to be using OpenAI’s open-source model for ransomware attacks, according to antivirus company ESET.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Sheckler and Kells have used the parallels in their turbulent journeys in the spotlight to lean on one another, making their bond stronger over the years.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
14 Aug. 2025
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The two were married in 2012, and in the 13 years that followed, Krein was spotted from time to time with the powerful political family as his father-in-law navigated a presidential campaign and turbulent term in the White House.—
Kyler Alvord,
People.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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While the exterior appears to be filthy, images from inside appear to show a white substance covering the steering wheel, dashboard, center console and other parts of the interior.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
23 Aug. 2025
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Trump has repeatedly described some of the nation's largest cities, run by Democrats, with Black mayors and majority-minority populations, as dangerous and filthy.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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A couple who had moved into a new apartment a couple of hours earlier got an unpleasant surprise after returning from a celebratory dinner.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
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There are many financial benefits to property ownership, but that also means bills, repairs, maintenance and a number of other unpleasant surprises.—
Steve Jahnke,
Kansas City Star,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nasty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nasty. Accessed 2 Sep. 2025.
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