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
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
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Recent Examples of nastyAnd credit to the Baltimore Orioles for moving Thursday’s game against the Cubs from a night game to a day game to avoid some nasty weather.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
10 July 2026 Tracking down the nasty bug isn’t straightforward as males and females of the parasite swap parts of their DNA to reproduce, meaning their offspring often have different genes.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
8 July 2026 The prettiest man in football landed a nasty elbow to Ireland’s Dara O’ Shea and was justifiably handed a red card.—Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 July 2026 Cycling’s remarkable collarbone break recoveries Just over two months ago, Visma-Lease a Bike’s Matteo Jorgenson broke his collarbone after a nasty fall at Amstel Gold.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for nasty
The deals defined one of the ugliest chapters of Russia’s transition to capitalism in the 1990s.
—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
17 July 2026
Leaders must be grounded in self-awareness and their influence, leaning into emotional intelligence and humility; recognizing that different styles shape how people show up amid many influences, good, bad and ugly.
When asked whether this was the most painful moment of his football career, Tuchel would not commit.
—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
18 July 2026
England was knocked out of the World Cup in painful fashion on Wednesday, surrendering two goals in the final 15 minutes of its semifinal clash with Argentina.
These stories were reprinted in Scottish and English botanical texts, and Henrietta would have known about the obscene ideas connected with the mushroom.
—
Leah Hudson,
Popular Science,
9 July 2026
Jackson then allegedly drove over into another lane and swerved at the victim, while using an obscene hand gesture.
Ransomware is a type of malicious software that restricts access to computer files, systems, or networks, according to the FBI.
—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
17 July 2026
Rodriguez pleaded guilty to damaging property occupied by a foreign government, explosive materials—malicious damage to federal property, and receipt or possession of an unregistered firearm.
Dozens of people had spent almost a year living outside, filthy and exhausted, and for what?
—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 July 2026
From shabby apartments to art experiments to filthy needles—with echoes of Patti Smith and Rebecca Makkai—Adler conjures an era of sorrow borne by too many, too young.
Anyone concerned about coming down with this very unpleasant sickness should avoid lettuces for the time being, says Rabia de Latour, a gastroenterologist at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
15 July 2026
Like them, his music seesaws between aggressive and playful, between crowd-pleasing and purposefully unpleasant.
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