1
as in malice
the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm
there was a natural nastiness about him that was evident from the time he was a small child
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grossness
the quality or state of being obscene
the nastiness of the graffiti required that the school remove it immediately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dustiness
the state or quality of being dirty
the piles of rotting food in the kitchen were only one element in the apartment's general impression of appalling nastiness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in painful
causing or feeling bodily pain
a nasty cut on my lip
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in turbulent
marked by wet and windy conditions
bring your raincoat, as the weather's supposed to be nasty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in filthy
not clean
it's incredibly nasty inside that garbage bin, so stay away from there
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses
the smell of those old leftovers is downright nasty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in unsettling
causing worry or anxiety
she had the nasty sense that she'd made a mistake somewhere
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nastiness
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2025
The week began on a rough note, with a nasty sell-off Monday sparked by investors’ concerns about President Donald Trump ’s criticism of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and the lack of trade deals over the long holiday weekend.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2025
Mingyang took the center of the Octagon from the beginning, landed hard leg kicks, and opened a nasty gash on Smith’s forehead with a step-in elbow.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
With a triple-digit heater and a nasty slider, he’s always been a tantalizing talent.
—Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nastiness
Adjective
Make your position clear but don’t get involved to the point where things are nasty.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2025
The week began on a rough note, with a nasty sell-off Monday sparked by investors’ concerns about President Donald Trump ’s criticism of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and the lack of trade deals over the long holiday weekend.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2025
Mingyang took the center of the Octagon from the beginning, landed hard leg kicks, and opened a nasty gash on Smith’s forehead with a step-in elbow.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
With a triple-digit heater and a nasty slider, he’s always been a tantalizing talent.
—Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nastiness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nastiness
Noun
-
Colt has been indicted on 55 felony counts, including four counts of malice murder, according to court documents, and has pleaded not guilty.—
Devon M. Sayers,
CNN Money,
6 May 2025
-
Without it, little remained but his malice, his pettiness, and his insatiable appetite for revenge.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
They were bullied, beaten, humiliated, tortured and shot, with productive laborers crammed on top of one another in the dirty stone barracks—separately from the Jewish prisoners, whose numbers grew ever larger.—
Paul Hockenos,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 May 2025
-
Coal plants are also the dirtiest fossil fuel in terms of planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions.—
Sammy Roth,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
The series between the Warriors and the Rockets was slow, low scoring, and ugly—which is exactly how the younger, less experienced Rockets wanted it.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
11 May 2025
-
This wasn’t the first time Green was subjected to ugly behavior from opposing fans.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
10 May 2025
Adjective
-
The alternative — a world in which the United States and China no longer engage in trade — could be economically painful and destabilizing.—
Alan Rappeport,
New York Times,
10 May 2025
-
Appearance: The condition starts as small, extremely painful blisters on your shins (and sometimes your arms).—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
The investigation began when detectives with the Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit served a search warrant in Bakersfield based on a tip about a person who was in possession and used obscene material involving an underage girl, authorities announced in a news release on Tuesday.—
Nathan Solis,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2025
-
With his plea, a federal indictment relating to transfer of obscene material to a minor would not be pursued.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
5 May 2025
Adjective
-
The ransomware attacks in question started with malicious Google Ads deployed by the threat actors.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2025
-
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,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
The stakes are high, as the visits take place amid turbulent geopolitical tensions.—
Natasha Turak,
CNBC,
9 May 2025
-
The film spans two decades of a country in profound transformation with a new perspective into contemporary China and individual experience amid turbulent change.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
The new house is now disgustingly filthy and filled with trash and the smell of cat urine.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
29 Apr. 2025
-
The common areas of the building have been filthy, too: trash all around the grounds and dirty stairwells.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nastiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nastiness. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share