nasty
Part of speech: adj
noun
Morphological type: derivation
Etymology: From Middle English nasty, nasti, naxty, naxte (“unclean, filthy”), whence also Early Modern English nasky (“nasty”), of obscure origin. Probably from earlier Middle English *naskty, *naskedy, from Middle English *nasked (“dirty, messy”) + -y, ultimately of North Germanic origin (comparable to Danish nasket (“dirty, foul, unpleasant”), Swedish naskot (“dirty, filthy”), Swedish naskig, naskug (“nasty, dirty, messy”)), themselves all probably related to Proto-Germanic *hnaskuz (“tender, soft”). Likely doublet of nesh and nosh. Cognate with Scots nastie, nestie (“dirty, filthy”).
Alternative theories have also been proposed, which include:
* From Low German nask (“nasty”) + -y.
* Middle Dutch nestich, nistich ("nasty, dirty, unpleasant" > Modern Dutch nestig (“dirty, filthy, unclean; lazy, cranky”)), perhaps ultimately connected to the Scandinavian word above, or related to *nest (“nest”).
* From Old French nastre (“lowly, strange”), shortened form of villenastre (“infamous, bad”), from vilein (“villain”) + -astre (pejorative suffix), from Latin -aster.
* Other suggestions include Old High German naz (“wet”), hardening of English nesh(y) (“soft”), or alteration of English naughty.
* Modern use of the word is sometimes attributed to the popular and often derogatory 19th century American political cartoons of Thomas Nast, but the word predates him.
Affixes: -y
Inflected forms:
form: nastier
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: nastiest
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: nasties
pos: noun
tags: plural
Senses:
gloss: Dirty, filthy.
pos: adj
tags: US
examples: In such condition, there is no place for Industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no Culture of the Earth; no Navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by Sea; no commodious Building; no Instruments of moving, and removing such things as require much force; no Knowledge of the face of the Earth; no account of Time; no Arts; no Letters; no Society; and which is worst of all, continuall feare, and danger of violent death; And the life of man, solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short.
I really don't have any friends at school Mama Mia. They talk about me all the time. They say my hair's nappy and my clothes are nasty.
gloss: Contemptible, unpleasant (of a person).
pos: adj
examples: Jonathan kept staring at him, till I was afraid he would notice. I feared he might take it ill, he looked so fierce and nasty.
gloss: Objectionable, unpleasant (of a thing); repellent, offensive.
pos: adj
examples: ‘It's a nasty trade,’ said Mr. Limbkins, when Gamfield had again stated his wish.
gloss: Indecent or offensive; obscene, lewd.
pos: adj
examples: He said to Mr. Tallboy he thought the headline was a bit hot. And Mr. Tallboy said he had a nasty mind.
We want threesomes, blowjobs, and orgies. That's just the way it is. We want the good girl who's nasty in bed.
gloss: Spiteful, unkind.
pos: adj
examples: She had said: "I love the block button on Twitter. I don't know how people expect to send a nasty comment and not get blocked."
gloss: Awkward, difficult to navigate; dangerous.
pos: adj
tags: UK
examples: There was a nasty period during the First World War when the family's allegiance was called into question - not least because one of the Schroders had been made a baron by the Kaiser.
gloss: Grave or dangerous (of an accident, illness etc.).
pos: adj
tags: UK
examples: Moving into the middle ages, William the Conqueror managed to rout the English and rule the country, then see off numerous plots and assassination attempts, before his horse did for him in a nasty fall, killing him at 60.
gloss: Formidable, terrific; wicked.
pos: adj
tags: US
slang
examples: "Well," she grinned, looking hot and sexy. "They say you doing some real nasty shit in the NBA, but on the mic you a little too competitive. They say you a gaming niggah who likes to keep up all kinds of go-to-war gangsta friction between rappers. That shit must work for you though, huh? You stickin' all over the charts when other artists are failin' off. They rotating your cuts on the radio like mad too."
gloss: Something nasty.
pos: noun
tags: informal
examples: Processed foods are full of aspartame and other nasties.
This video game involves flying through a maze zapping various nasties.
I also urge the regular visual examination of the rectum (anoscopy) for people who engage in rectal sex, for the early detection of rectal warts, hemorrhoids, fissures — all those rectal nasties.
gloss: Sexual intercourse.
pos: noun
tags: euphemistic
slang
gloss: A video nasty.
pos: noun
examples: In this way, it is hoped that the nasties will be dealt with, and the remainder regularized.
Jones evokes the nasties discursively to brand the Splat Pack as 'authentic outlaws'.
Synonyms: beastly
Derived words: bag nasty
box nasty
cheap and nasty
cut up nasty
dry as a nun's nasty
feminasty
Jack Nasty
nastily
nastiness
nastyass
nasty, brutish, and short
nastygram
Nasty Pelosi
purple nasty
something nasty in the woodshed
talk nasty
unnasty
do the nasty
video nasty
Translations: