nasty

adjective

ˈna-stē How to pronounce nasty (audio)
Definition of nastynext
1
as in dirty
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust fortunately, the story's nasty characters are balanced by some truly good people

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ugly
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment a nasty horror movie that was so violent that I could hardly watch the opening scenes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in painful
causing or feeling bodily pain a nasty cut on my lip

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society nasty magazines that are not sold to minors

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in malicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it nasty comments that trolls left on the website

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in turbulent
marked by wet and windy conditions bring your raincoat, as the weather's supposed to be nasty

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in filthy
not clean it's incredibly nasty inside that garbage bin, so stay away from there

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses the smell of those old leftovers is downright nasty

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in unsettling
causing worry or anxiety she had the nasty sense that she'd made a mistake somewhere

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
10
as in foul
not being in accordance with the rules or standards of what is fair in sport a nasty hit got the hockey player suspended

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency that was a nasty trick to play on people who were so trusting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
12
as in difficult
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nasty Both are alarmed that their younger counterparts have begun receiving similar threatening notes one year after their own roadside tragedy, and yet another person or persons rocking a rain slicker and one long, nasty hook are doling out some karmic payback. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2025 Indeed, history has played a nasty trick on the Democrats. —John Kenneth Galbraith, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025 Despite the invective and hyperbole the Guild continues to inject into the process, which have included gratuitous and nasty personal attacks, the Daily News stands ready to sit down as often as necessary and as long as necessary. —The Daily News, New York Daily News, 16 July 2025 What a wonderfully nasty bit of character expansion. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for nasty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nasty
  1. dirty
  2. ugly
  3. painful
  4. obscene
  5. malicious
  6. turbulent
  7. filthy
  8. unpleasant
Adjective
  • The restaurant violated 17 standards, including bugs inside the restaurant and dirty kitchen equipment.
    — Evan Moore July 18, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2025
  • What to look for in a quality cat fountain Filtration system Stagnant or dirty water is dangerous to pets, especially cats with a delicate immune system.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2025
Definition of dirty
Adjective
  • These are the kind of ugly games that sometimes get played when GMs and coaches grow apart and pressure builds on their job securities and livelihoods.
    — Pat Leonard, Hartford Courant, 21 July 2025
  • In 1996, Cantor died, and Lutnick, after an ugly succession battle with Cantor’s widow, Iris, took control.
    — Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 21 July 2025
Definition of ugly
Adjective
  • Higher temperatures can be too hot for a dog’s paw pads and, in some cases, can cause painful burns.
    — Cody Godwin, USA Today, 22 July 2025
  • The tents are overrun by mosquitoes and other large insects, subjecting people to frequent and painful insect bites.
    — Steve Bousquet, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 July 2025
Definition of painful
Adjective
  • Lawsuit alleges 'obscene' government overreach Longo's lawsuit, filed in Chemung County, New York, names the county, the city of Elmira and several DEC officers as defendants.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 12 July 2025
  • The court acknowledged that protecting minors from material that would be considered obscene from their perspective was a compelling government interest.
    — Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 5 July 2025
Definition of obscene
Adjective
  • Attacks are now surging across the U.S., targeting citizens with malicious texts, emails and popups.
    — Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
  • Because the malicious screen is transparent, there are no visual cues to suggest anything suspicious is happening.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2025
Definition of malicious
Adjective
  • All died in the turbulent waters of Lake Michigan while vacationing in South Haven, where public outrage over the lack of lifeguards has been building.
    — Tresa Baldas, Freep.com, 21 July 2025
  • Wander the ruins of Cristóvão de Moura’s palace, a poignant echo of Portugal’s turbulent entanglement with Spanish rule.
    — Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Definition of turbulent
Adjective
  • Indeed, the trio looked filthy, and one even had a red, watery eye.
    — Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
  • Sharp has long been one of New York’s filthiest comedians.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 22 July 2025
Definition of filthy
Adjective
  • Set a Timer For particularly difficult or unpleasant tasks, set a timer for a short duration—for example, five to 30 minutes—and commit to working on that task until the time is up.
    — Aubrey Bailey, Verywell Health, 17 July 2025
  • There are telltale signs that there's too much moisture in your house, from condensation to unpleasant odors.
    — Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 17 July 2025
Definition of unpleasant

Browse Nearby Words

nastiness
nasty
natch
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nasty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nasty. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on nasty

Nglish: Translation of nasty for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Better Ways to Say 'This Sucks'

8 Words with Fascinating Histories
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All