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
Gudas, the Ducks’ captain, was also part of the 2024 triumph for the Czechs and reprised his role as a nasty, stalwart force on the blue line.
—
Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 23 Feb. 2026
Chris Richards suffered a nasty head-to-head collision with Wolves player Santiago Bueno during their game at Selhurst Park on Sunday.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
In modern sports, really nasty.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Failing to check abatement expiration dates creates nasty surprises when incentives end.
—Allison Palmer
updated February 20, Kansas City Star, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nasty
Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 23 Feb. 2026
Chris Richards suffered a nasty head-to-head collision with Wolves player Santiago Bueno during their game at Selhurst Park on Sunday.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
In modern sports, really nasty.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Failing to check abatement expiration dates creates nasty surprises when incentives end.
—Allison Palmer
updated February 20, Kansas City Star, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nasty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nasty
Adjective
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The agency previously had broad authority to regulate this kind of pollution by shifting power generation from dirtier sources like coal to cleaner sources like wind and solar.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Most reporters struggled to cadge a ride to the more distant fronts with the dirty soldiers who kept Franco’s forces at bay.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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During the last two weeks, Sarandos got dragged into two ugly controversies.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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Trump was, by now, back in office, and the issue of CNN again reared its ugly head.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Grey’s Anatomy star Katherine Heigl is getting candid about the painful process of grieving her late costar, Eric Dane.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Feb. 2026
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For people with Crohn’s disease, those decisions can have serious consequences, including painful flares, emergency room visits and long-term complications.—
Amy Sue Harper,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Others include copropraxia, or obscene gestures, and non-obscene but socially inappropriate tics, such as making kissing sounds, spitting or touching others.—
Rena Zito,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
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Davidson has Tourette's with Coprolalia, which involves involuntary outbursts of obscene words or socially inappropriate and derogatory remarks, according to the Tourette Association of America.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Claude initially warned the unknown user of malicious intent during their conversation about the Mexican government, but eventually complied with the attacker’s requests and executed thousands of commands on government computer networks, the researchers said.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
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Here’s the Harvest Data The DNR said the charges for hunter harassment and malicious destruction of a blind were filed with the County Prosecutor’s office.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Though the region of the Milky Way called the Galactic Center is expected to be replete with pulsars, spotting them is challenging because of how extreme, turbulent, and densely packed the heart of our galaxy is.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
21 Feb. 2026
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It’s been a turbulent few years for Ubisoft.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Kelli Bryant, 34, was facing three counts each of child abuse related to allegedly forcing her three children, a 15-year-old boy and a 13- and 12-year-old girl, to live in unbearable, filthy conditions in an apartment on Lydia Lane.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
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Other parts of the ballpark, including the exterior concourse and entrances, were also impacted by the filthy leaks, which stunk to high heaven.—
Gary Phillips,
Hartford Courant,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Besides preventing mold and mildew, cleaning will also taper unpleasant odors and prevent cracking and crumbling of your seal.—
Caroline Lubinsky,
Martha Stewart,
21 Feb. 2026
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By washing white rice, the excess starch is washed off, as well as any oxidized rice bran oil coating the outside, which can add an unpleasant flavor to the cooked rice.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nasty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nasty. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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