Nasty

/ˈnæsti/

Meaning & Definition

adjective

Extremely unpleasant or disgusting.

The food had a nasty smell that made everyone in the room gag.

Behaving in an unkind or malicious way.

She made a nasty comment about his appearance.

Severe or harmful.

He suffered a nasty injury during the game.

Obscene or vulgar.

The comedian's jokes were filled with nasty language.

Difficult to deal with.

The weather turned nasty, forcing us to cancel the picnic.

From Middle English 'nasty' meaning 'foul, filthy', possibly a derivative of 'naste', which means 'to stink'.

nasty surprise:

An unpleasant shock or unexpected event.

nasty business:

A difficult or troublesome situation.

nasty piece of work:

A person who is mean or malicious.

Nasty can refer to something extremely good or impressive, often used in a positive context.

That performance was nasty!

Nasty can mean something that is dirty or grimy in a flirtatious context.

That outfit is giving me nasty vibes.