Nasty: meaning, definitions and examples

🤢
Add to dictionary

nasty

 

[ ˈnæsti ]

Adjective / Adverb
Context #1 | Adjective

describing something unpleasant

Nasty is used to describe something that is unpleasant, dirty, or offensive. It can also refer to someone who is mean-spirited or unkind.

Synonyms

disgusting, mean, offensive, unkind, unpleasant

Examples of usage

  • That food looks nasty, I wouldn't eat it.
  • He made a nasty comment about her appearance.
  • Don't be so nasty to your sister, it's not nice.
  • The nasty smell coming from the garbage can was unbearable.
  • The movie had a lot of nasty scenes that made me uncomfortable.
Context #2 | Adverb

describing an action done in a mean or offensive way

When used as an adverb, nasty describes an action that is done in a mean or offensive way.

Synonyms

meanly, offensively, rudely

Examples of usage

  • He spoke to her nastily, making her feel small.
  • She looked at him nastily, as if he had done something wrong.

Translations

Translations of the word "nasty" in other languages:

🇵🇹 desagradável

🇮🇳 बुरा

🇩🇪 unangenehm

🇮🇩 menjijikkan

🇺🇦 неприємний

🇵🇱 nieprzyjemny

🇯🇵 不快な (ふかいな)

🇫🇷 désagréable

🇪🇸 desagradable

🇹🇷 hoş olmayan

🇰🇷 불쾌한

🇸🇦 غير سار

🇨🇿 nepříjemný

🇸🇰 nepríjemný

🇨🇳 讨厌的 (tǎoyàn de)

🇸🇮 neprijeten

🇮🇸 óþægilegur

🇰🇿 жағымсыз

🇬🇪 არასასიამოვნო

🇦🇿 xoşagəlməz

🇲🇽 desagradable

Etymology

The word 'nasty' originated from Middle English in the late 14th century, derived from Old French 'nastre' meaning dirty or filthy. Over time, its meaning evolved to include being mean or offensive. It has been used widely in English literature and everyday language to describe unpleasant or unkind things.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranked #10,921, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.