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 nastyHis central characters can be nasty, disgusting, violent, hysterically cruel, and passionately consumed.—
Ct Jones,
Rolling Stone,
8 Aug. 2026 So a pinch of surprising depth proves to be the most unwieldy move when Roth unveils a resonantly nasty surprise for his story’s endgame.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Aug. 2026 In the final weeks before the election, the nasty battle between El-Sayed and Stevens played out as a microcosm of a larger debate about the future of the Democratic Party.—
Tracy Grant,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
7 Aug. 2026 Under its guidance, untold hectares of nasty greenery have succumbed to billions of dollars in herbicide.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nasty
By the time her wedding day arrived on Saturday, all that was left for Jordyn to do was take it all in—and get her dress dirty at some point along the way.
—
Alexandra Macon,
Vogue,
17 Aug. 2026
Recently, my dad discovered these non-slip couch covers that protect the upholstery on their couches from dirty paws.
Some of the coverage may be ugly and unfair, but isn’t obscurity worse?
—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Aug. 2026
The City of Atlanta and Fulton County’s Board of Commissioners have been trading negotiations over the sale of the Atlanta City Detention Center, and things have started to get ugly.
His last appearance came in the AFC Championship Game, a 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots that ended with a few painful what-ifs hanging in the air for him and the Broncos.
—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2026
Your husband’s abandonment was surely jarring, painful, and confusing.
Climate Pledge Arena prohibits abusive or obscene language and says violators may be ejected.
—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 July 2026
These stories were reprinted in Scottish and English botanical texts, and Henrietta would have known about the obscene ideas connected with the mushroom.
Armed with an arsenal of tools – from DIY inventions to GPS trackers to drones – Daniel scours the turbulent Vistula River on an all-consuming search, desperate for answers.
—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
12 Aug. 2026
But the fund, overwhelmingly comprised of equities, saw a turbulent first six months of the year.
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