nasty

English Online Dictionary. What means nasty‎? What does nasty mean?

English

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.
• From Old French nastre (“bad, strange”), shortened form of villenastre (“infamous, bad”), from vilein (“villain”) + -astre (pejorative suffix), from Latin -aster.
• 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”).
• 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.

Pronunciation

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈnaː.sti/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈnɑː.sti/
  • Rhymes: -ɑːsti
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈnæs.ti/
  • Rhymes: -æsti

Adjective

nasty (comparative nastier, superlative nastiest)

1. (now chiefly US) Dirty, filthy. [from 14th c.]
2. Contemptible, unpleasant (of a person). [from 15th c.]
3. Objectionable, unpleasant (of a thing); repellent, offensive. [from 16th c.]
4. Indecent or offensive; obscene, lewd. [from 17th c.]
5. Spiteful, unkind. [from 19th c.]
6. (chiefly UK) Awkward, difficult to navigate; dangerous. [from 19th c.]
7. (chiefly UK) Grave or dangerous (of an accident, illness etc.). [from 19th c.]
8. (slang, chiefly US) Formidable, terrific; wicked. [from 20th c.]

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

nasty (plural nasties)

1. (informal) Something nasty.
2. (euphemistic, slang, preceded by "the") Sexual intercourse.
3. A video nasty.

Derived terms

• do the nasty
• video nasty

References

Anagrams

• Ansty, Santy, Tansy, Yants, antsy, tansy