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nasty

Syllabification: (nas·ty)
Pronunciation: /ˈnastē/
Translate nasty | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of nasty

adjective (nastier, nastiest)

  • 1highly unpleasant, especially to the senses; physically nauseating:plastic bags burn with a nasty, acrid smell
  • (of the weather) unpleasantly cold or wet:a cold, nasty day
  • repugnant to the mind; morally bad:her stories are very nasty, full of murder and violence
  • 2(of a person or animal) behaving in an unpleasant or spiteful way:Harry was a nasty, foul-mouthed old devil when she confronted him, he turned nasty
  • annoying or unwelcome:life has a nasty habit of repeating itself
  • 3physically or mentally damaging or harmful:a nasty, vicious-looking hatchet

noun (plural nasties)

(often nasties) informal
  • an unpleasant or harmful person or thing:bacteria and other nasties
  • chiefly British a horror video or movie.

Derivatives

nastily

Pronunciation: /-təlē/
adverb

Origin:

late Middle English: of unknown origin

nasty in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of nasty in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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