nasty

nasty — adjective

1. very unpleasant, often affecting your senses or your mood in a way that you stro

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

very unpleasant, often affecting your senses or your mood in a way that you strongly dislike

Example

The soup had a nasty taste, so I asked the waiter to take it back.

collocation: nasty taste / smell / weather

We had nasty weather all weekend with heavy rain and strong winds.

Common collocations
  • nasty taste
  • nasty smell
  • nasty weather
  • nasty cut
  • nasty wound
  • nasty accident
Synonyms
  • unpleasant

    more neutral and weaker in force

  • horrible

    similar strength but broader — can describe people, events, or feelings

  • disgusting

    focuses on physical revulsion rather than general badness

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

nasty + noun

be + nasty

Usage Note

Covers a wide range of unpleasant experiences: tastes, smells, weather, injuries, and difficult situations. It is much stronger than 'bad' and closer in force to 'disgusting' or 'horrible'.

Common Mistakes

The movie was nasty.' (when you simply found it boring).
The movie was terrible / boring.
'nasty' is too strong for a merely disappointing film; reserve it for things that disgust, upset, or genuinely offend you.

2. behaving or speaking in a cruel, unfriendly way that is intended to hurt someone

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

behaving or speaking in a cruel, unfriendly way that is intended to hurt someone's feelings

Example

Yasmin made a nasty remark about Tara's new haircut right in front of her.

pattern: make a nasty remark / comment about

The older children were being nasty to the new student for no reason at all.

Common collocations
  • nasty remark
  • nasty comment
  • nasty email
  • nasty message
  • nasty rumour
  • be nasty to someone
Synonyms
  • mean

    commoner in everyday speech; less intense than 'nasty'

  • cruel

    stronger — suggests causing pain or suffering

  • spiteful

    emphasises a desire to hurt someone because of anger or resentment

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be + nasty + to + person

nasty + about + person/thing

Usage Note

The subject is typically a person or their words/actions. Stronger than 'unkind' — suggests deliberate intention to hurt, not just thoughtlessness.

Common Mistakes

She said a nasty comment.
She made a nasty comment.
the verb with 'comment' and 'remark' is 'make', not 'say'.
He was nasty with me.
He was nasty to me.
the preposition that follows 'nasty' when referring to a person is 'to', not 'with'.

3. dangerous and threatening, with the potential to cause physical harm or a seriou

3.adjectiveB1
Definition

dangerous and threatening, with the potential to cause physical harm or a serious fight

Example

A nasty group of men were waiting outside the bar, looking for a fight.

pattern: turn nasty (sudden change to threatening behaviour)

Putri had a nasty fall from her bicycle and broke her wrist quite badly.

Common collocations
  • nasty fight
  • nasty fall
  • nasty accident
  • nasty injury
  • turn nasty
  • go nasty
Synonyms
  • dangerous

    more neutral; lacks the sense of unpleasantness

  • violent

    focuses on physical force rather than threat

  • fierce

    suggests aggressive, wild behaviour often of animals

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

nasty + noun

turn / go + nasty

Usage Note

Often used with the verbs 'turn' or 'go' to describe a sudden change from harmless to threatening behaviour (e.g. 'The situation turned nasty.').

Common Mistakes

He has a very nasty knife.' (meaning 'dangerous').
He has a very dangerous / sharp knife.
'nasty' does not simply mean 'dangerous'; it implies the object caused harm or was part of a violent incident.

4. rude and offensive, especially about sex or bodily functions, in a way that shoc

4.adjectiveB1
Definition

rude and offensive, especially about sex or bodily functions, in a way that shocks or embarrasses people

Example

Bilal told a nasty joke at the dinner table and everyone felt uncomfortable.

collocation: nasty joke / story

Someone had written nasty words on the bathroom wall of the school.

Common collocations
  • nasty joke
  • nasty language
  • nasty word
  • nasty scene
  • nasty comment
Synonyms
  • rude

    broader — can be impolite without being sexual

  • vulgar

    emphasises lack of refinement, especially about sex or the body

  • crude

    suggests lack of sophistication rather than deliberate offensiveness

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

nasty + noun (joke / word / language / scene)

Usage Note

Common in phrases like 'nasty joke', 'nasty language', and 'nasty word'. Stronger than 'rude' — suggests deliberately shocking or indecent content, often sexual.

Common Mistakes

He told a nasty story to his grandmother at her birthday party.' (illogical — would not use this register in a respectful setting).
He told a rude joke at the party with his friends.
'nasty' language is usually avoided in formal or family settings.

5. used only in the phrase 'have a nasty feeling / suspicion' to describe a worried

5.adjectiveB2
Definition

used only in the phrase 'have a nasty feeling / suspicion' to describe a worried thought that something unpleasant is going to happen or is true

Example

I had a nasty feeling that I had left the stove on after leaving the house.

fixed expression: have a nasty feeling that...

Tyler had a nasty suspicion that someone had been reading his private emails.

Common collocations
  • have a nasty feeling
  • have a nasty suspicion
Synonyms
  • uneasy

    describes the feeling itself rather than the suspicion; used as an adjective with 'feel'

  • ominous

    more formal; describes a sign or event rather than a personal feeling

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

have a nasty feeling (that)...

have a nasty suspicion (that)...

Usage Note

Only appears in the fixed expressions 'have a nasty feeling' and 'have a nasty suspicion', usually followed by a that-clause. This sense does not occur in other grammatical patterns — you cannot say 'I am nasty that...' or 'It is nasty that...' to express this meaning.

Common Mistakes

I have a nasty thought that he is lying.
I have a nasty suspicion that he is lying.
'suspicion' is a fixed collocate here; 'thought' is not used in this pattern with 'nasty'.
I feel nasty that something bad will happen.
I have a nasty feeling that something bad will happen.
use the verb 'have', not 'feel', with this expression.
Idioms

get/turn nasty

idiom

To start behaving in a threatening or violent way.

When the referee made the call, the coach turned nasty.

If you don't pay them, they might get nasty.

leave a bad/nasty taste in the mouth

idiom

To cause a lasting feeling of disgust or shame.

The unfair treatment left a bad taste in my mouth.

His rude comments left a nasty taste in everyone's mouth.

a nasty piece of work

idiom

A person who is very unpleasant, unkind, or dishonest.

That landlord is a nasty piece of work; avoid him.

She's a nasty piece of work who cheats her clients.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

All four words describe behaviour that hurts others, but they differ in intensity and intention. 'Unkind' is the mildest — it covers thoughtless or insensitive actions without implying deliberate malice. 'Mean' is the everyday word for petty, small-scale cruelty: refusing to share, teasing, or excluding someone. 'Nasty' is stronger than 'mean'; it suggests a sharper, more intentional cruelty — nasty remarks are calculated to wound, not just thoughtless. 'Cruel' is the strongest of the four, implying a deliberate desire to cause pain or suffering. 'Spiteful' adds the element of resentment or grudge — a spiteful person hurts others because they feel hurt themselves. For example: calling someone a bad name is mean; spreading a rumour to damage their reputation is nasty; deliberately hurting an animal is cruel; refusing to help a classmate who once beat you in a contest is spiteful.

mean ↗cruelspitefulunkind ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • nasty taste
  • nasty smell
  • nasty weather
  • nasty remark
  • nasty fall
  • nasty cut
  • nasty fight
  • nasty joke
  • nasty language
  • nasty feeling
  • nasty suspicion

Adverbs

  • really nasty
  • pretty nasty
  • rather nasty
  • particularly nasty

Phrases

  • turn nasty
  • go nasty
  • get nasty

Prepositions

  • nasty to
  • nasty about

Etymology

Old FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'nasty' first appeared in Middle English around the 1300s. It may come from an Old French word 'nastre' meaning 'bad, strange, or foreign', or possibly from a Dutch word 'nestig' meaning 'dirty, full of bird droppings'. Over time the meaning widened from 'dirty' to 'unpleasant', then to 'unkind' and 'dangerous'.