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nasty definition

nasty (nas′tē)

adjective nastier -·tier, nastiest -·ti·est

  1. very dirty, filthy
  2. offensive in taste or smell; nauseating
  3. morally offensive; indecent
  4. very unpleasant; objectionable nasty weather
  5. mean; malicious; ill-humored a nasty temper
  6. very harmful or troublesome a nasty bruise

Etymology: ME < ? or akin to Du nestig, dirty

noun pl. nasties -·ties

an offensive, objectionable, or very unpleasant person or thing

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

nasty Synonyms

nasty

modif.

  1. Offensive to the senses

    dirty, foul, gross, revolting; see offensive 2, vulgar 1.

  2. Indecent

    immoral, immodest, smutty; see lewd 1, 2, shameful 1, wicked 1.

  3. Likely to be harmful

    injurious, damaging, noxious; see dangerous 1, fierce 2, harmful, poisonous.

  4. Unkind

    sarcastic, critical, mean; see cruel 1, fierce 1, ruthless 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

nasty Usage Examples

Modifying Another Word

  • downright: She is downright nasty to those who disagree with her views.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • get: Of course, before we get a bit too nasty we should probably take a look at the memory first.

Modifies a noun

  • surprise: Floating into a corner booth, he got a very nasty surprise.

Used with adjective complement

  • turn: Stop borrowing or we'll turn really nasty " .
nasty usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

nasty quotes

Life nowadays is dominated and complicated by the remorseless Zip. Blouses zip up, skirts zip down, ski-ing suits zip everywhere† Why? Is there anything more deadly than a Zip that turns nasty on you?

-Christie, Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa ne¤  e Miller

   People don't very much like things that are beautifulötheyare so far from their nasty little minds.

-Debray, Regis

Something nasty in the woodshed.

-Gibbons, Stella Dorothea

nasty quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"nasty." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/nasty>

APA Style

nasty. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/nasty

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