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
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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
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3
as in painful
causing or feeling bodily pain
a nasty cut on my lip
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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
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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
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6
as in turbulent
marked by wet and windy conditions
bring your raincoat, as the weather's supposed to be nasty
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7
as in filthy
not clean
it's incredibly nasty inside that garbage bin, so stay away from there
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8
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses
the smell of those old leftovers is downright nasty
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9
as in unsettling
causing worry or anxiety
she had the nasty sense that she'd made a mistake somewhere
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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
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nasty
Instead of attacking us with negative ads and nasty billboards, Republicans and Democrats would have to attract support from independents and undecided voters with a message other than fear.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
Riya awakens at the beginning with a nasty gash to her temple, having forgotten all that happened, but quickly clued into the still-volatile situation by the corpses of three of her fellow crew members: Kevin (Beulah Koale), Adhi (Iko Uwais) and Davis (Flying Lotus).
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 12 Mar. 2025
This disheartening reality augurs a future in which the prosperity of a few affluent enclaves depends in part on the rest of the globe becoming ever more nasty, brutish, and hot.
—Scott W. Stern, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
And then, to top a nasty joke with a nastier one, he was deemed useless for the final twenty years of his life.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nasty
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
Riya awakens at the beginning with a nasty gash to her temple, having forgotten all that happened, but quickly clued into the still-volatile situation by the corpses of three of her fellow crew members: Kevin (Beulah Koale), Adhi (Iko Uwais) and Davis (Flying Lotus).
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 12 Mar. 2025
This disheartening reality augurs a future in which the prosperity of a few affluent enclaves depends in part on the rest of the globe becoming ever more nasty, brutish, and hot.
—Scott W. Stern, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
And then, to top a nasty joke with a nastier one, he was deemed useless for the final twenty years of his life.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nasty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nasty
Adjective
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Not worrying about getting dirty or anything like that.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
21 Mar. 2025
-
These guys are out here sweating, getting their hands dirty.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacramento Bee,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The 24-year-old displayed all of the good, the bad and the ugly in a 25-game stretch when called up to the majors last season when starting catcher Gabriel Moreno was injured.—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
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Imagine the classic tale The Ugly Duckling, by Hans Christian Andersen — only, in this version, the ugly duckling doesn’t mature into a beautiful swan.—
Matt Kracht,
People.com,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
For Senate Democrats, the GOP plan is painful to swallow.—
Philip Elliott,
TIME,
12 Mar. 2025
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Like witnessing a bad car crash, Ye’s (formerly known as Kanye West) latest episodes of hate speech and misogyny have been painful to watch and continue to elicit shock and dismay from every corner of the entertainment world.—
David Renzer,
Rolling Stone,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Taken by the apparent deterioration of his health, users made those clips go viral and eventually adapted the money spread into a mini-dance trend where users bop to the song before flaunting an obscene amount of cash (or weed baggies or fishing lures!).—
Andrew Unterberger,
Billboard,
19 Mar. 2025
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But there are more visible and indecent »Paris Game« leftovers: the enormous/obscene sportsbook ads on display at every other métro station.—
Eduardo Tansley,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Fraudsters are increasingly using generative AI to write convincing phishing emails, improve deepfakes, and draft new forms of malicious code — making scams harder to detect.—
Sam Sabin,
Axios,
11 Mar. 2025
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious apps is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The turbulent decade that saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, President John F. Kennedy’s and Martin Luther King’s assassination, and the Vietnam War meant that home viewers were more open to escapism and entertainment that would whisk them away from the world's horrors.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
11 Mar. 2025
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Outside of turbulent foreign relations, the election comes at a critical time in Hollywood as the entertainment industry faces unprecedented uncertainty due to AI and plummeting profits.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In early modern Europe, the filthiest trades (such as tanning) were branded nuisances and forced out of cities and closer to those living at society’s margins.—
Scott W. Stern,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2025
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The beat is straight up filthy, as are the lyrics, written from the point of view of a seductress who is simultaneously a literal murderer.—
James Factora,
Them,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This is notable, given that post-Covid brick and mortar shopping has generally become so unpleasant, it’s given rise to the need for a personal shopper.—
Jennifer Leigh Parker,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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Less a song than a gag, every individual element is unpleasant: single-entendre lyrics; vocals and synths that aren’t even in the same key; and the less said about Space Cowboy’s guest verse, the better.—
Kristen S. Hé,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to nasty
Cite this Entry
“Nasty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nasty. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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