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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective nasty differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of nasty are dirty, filthy, foul, and squalid. While all these words mean "conspicuously unclean or impure," nasty applies to what is actually foul or is repugnant to one expecting freshness, cleanliness, or sweetness; in practice, however, nasty is often weakened to the point of being no more than a synonym of unpleasant or disagreeable. When used figuratively, nasty implies a peculiarly offensive unpleasantness.

it's a nasty job to clean up after a sick cat
had a nasty fall
his answer gave her a nasty shock
a stand-up comedian known for nasty humor

When is dirty a more appropriate choice than nasty?

The words dirty and nasty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dirty emphasizes the presence of dirt more than an emotional reaction to it or, figuratively, stresses meanness or despicableness.

a dirty littered street
don't ask me to do your dirty work

When could filthy be used to replace nasty?

Although the words filthy and nasty have much in common, filthy carries a strong suggestion of offensiveness and typically of gradually accumulated dirt that begrimes and besmears. Figuratively, it can also describe disgusting obscenity.

a stained greasy floor, utterly filthy
filthy street language

When would foul be a good substitute for nasty?

While in some cases nearly identical to nasty, foul implies extreme offensiveness and an accumulation of what is rotten or stinking; it can also describe, for example, loathsome behavior.

a foul-smelling open sewer
a foul story of lust and greed

When might squalid be a better fit than nasty?

In some situations, the words squalid and nasty are roughly equivalent. However, squalid adds to the idea of dirtiness and filth that of slovenly neglect. Distinctively, its figurative use implies sordidness as well as baseness and dirtiness.

squalid slums
engaged in a series of squalid affairs

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 nasty While New York should only expect to see a couple inches of rain, cooler temperatures and decent wind, meteorologists predict the nor’easter will bring nastier weather to regions farther north in New England. Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 16 May 2025 Bloodlines includes some of the franchise’s best and nastiest kills. Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 13 May 2025 So that nasty stew’s been brewing for a good, long while. Sara Netzley, EW.com, 12 May 2025 There’s a nasty twist with this one, though, with Samsung’s phones particularly vulnerable to the attack. Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for nasty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nasty
Adjective
  • Airplane tray tables, seatbelt buckles and armrests are known to be among the dirtiest surfaces onboard.
    Isabelle Rodney, CNN Money, 20 May 2025
  • No filmmaker loves the dirty old town that is New York more than Spike Lee.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 20 May 2025
Adjective
  • The birds' droppings end up on the ground and windows below, creating an ugly scene for staff, branch patrons and passersby walking in the River Market District.
    Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 23 May 2025
  • Compare the first half of Season 15 to Jodie Whittaker’s last outing as the Doctor, and things get uglier.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • Their boyfriends, meanwhile, suffer the painful indignities of paper cutters, buzzsaws, and other sharp objects.
    Randall Colburn, EW.com, 23 May 2025
  • Manu diving can hurt The researchers caution that the manu maneuver is not only difficult but can be risky and painful.
    Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • After the man told the boy to get out of the road, the juvenile responded with cursing and an obscene gesture, the report said.
    Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025
  • Stop into any local bakery and ask for their specialty, many of which contain obscene amounts of egg yolks.
    Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The malicious URLs outputted in the response are in clickable form, meaning all a user has to do is click one to be taken to a malicious site.
    Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 23 May 2025
  • Enhances visibility and control of network traffic and user activities and detects and blocks malicious activities.
    Mickey Singh, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • This time, there’s still some uneasiness around the organization, mainly rooted in its turbulent recent past.
    James L. Edwards III, New York Times, 22 May 2025
  • These steps prevent, rather than heal, costly losses that weaken a company’s cash position, especially in turbulent times.
    Dean Kaplan, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • After being fired from SNL, Silverman scored a part playing a misunderstood filthy comedy writer on The Larry Sanders Show, Shandling’s classic send-up of the talk-show game.
    Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 18 May 2025
  • Who doesn’t rinse out (and ideally wash) a filthy blender filled with milky stuff?
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Best Smelling Photograph: Kristin Canning Grand Tongo Green Tea + Mint Insect Repellent $15 Amazon After testing nearly 20 different bug sprays (that pretty much all smelled at least a little unpleasant and chemical-y), this picaridin spray from Grand Tongo truly blew me away.
    Kristin Canning, Wired News, 21 May 2025
  • Today after dropping off groceries, my wife noted that the refrigerator, in her opinion, had an unpleasant odor.
    Eric Thomas, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Nasty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nasty. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on nasty

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