# nasty

Pronunciation: US say "NAS-tee" /ˈnæs.ti/; say "NAH-stee" UK /ˈnɑː.sti/, AUS /ˈnaː.sti/

## Adjective

1. Unpleasant, offensive, or repellent to the senses or feelings.
   - Simple: Very unpleasant or disgusting to deal with.
   - _A nasty odor filled the kitchen after the pipe burst._
   - _The soup had a nasty, bitter aftertaste._
2. Spiteful or unkind in words or behavior, intended to hurt.
   - Simple: Mean and unkind to others on purpose.
   - _He sent a nasty email blaming everyone but himself._
   - _Their argument turned nasty within minutes._
3. Contemptible or thoroughly unpleasant as a person.
   - Simple: Unpleasant and hard to like as a person.
   - _The new manager turned out to be a nasty piece of work._
   - _Only a nasty individual would treat staff that way._
4. Dirty, filthy, or unclean to a disgusting degree. *(US)*
   - Simple: Very dirty or covered in something disgusting.
   - _His sneakers were too nasty to wear to the party._
   - _She refused to touch the nasty dishrag in the sink._
5. Indecent, lewd, or offensive in a sexual or obscene way.
   - Simple: Rude in a sexual way, and not decent.
   - _The comedian's act was full of nasty innuendo._
   - _She blushed at the nasty remark and changed the subject._
6. Serious, grave, or dangerous, as of an accident or illness. *(UK)*
   - Simple: Serious and dangerous, like a bad injury or illness.
   - _He had a nasty accident on the motorway last winter._
   - _The doctor said it was a particularly nasty infection._
7. Awkward and difficult to navigate or get through; dangerous. *(UK)*
   - Simple: Hard to get through or deal with safely.
   - _Drivers should watch for a nasty corner just past the bridge._
   - _They faced a nasty stretch of road full of potholes._
8. Impressively skilled, powerful, or formidable; remarkably good. *(slang, US)*
   - Simple: Really good or impressive, in a way that surprises people.
   - _The pitcher's slider was downright nasty all season._
   - _He's got a nasty crossover that leaves defenders stumbling._

## Noun

9. A playful, euphemistic slang term for sexual intercourse, always preceded by the. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A joking slang way of saying sex, always used with "the".
   - _The two of them snuck off to do the nasty._
   - _She joked that the couple next door were always doing the nasty._
10. An unpleasant or harmful thing. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A thing that is unpleasant or bad.
   - _The survey turned up a nasty hidden in the contract's fine print._
   - _Cleaning the shed, she found all sorts of nasties in the corners._
11. A violent or graphically horrific film, especially one considered obscene or banned from sale.
   - Simple: A violent or scary film that many people think is too shocking.
   - _The censors pulled the nasty from every video store in town._
   - _Collectors still hunt for banned nasties from the early eighties._

## Origin

From Middle English nasty or nasti, meaning "unclean" or "filthy," of obscure origin. It probably comes ultimately from a North Germanic source, comparable to Danish nasket ("dirty, foul, unpleasant") and Swedish naskig ("nasty, dirty"), likely all related to Proto-Germanic *hnaskuz ("tender, soft"). Several alternative theories exist, including a Low German, Middle Dutch, or Old French origin.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/nasty (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).