nasty

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

English

Etymology

From Middle English nasty, nasti, naxty, naxte (“unclean, filthy”), unknown origin. Whence also Early Modern English nasky (“nasty”). Could be from or cognate with Old Norse *nask- +‎ -y or Low German nask (“nasty”) +‎ -y. Compare Swedish naskig, naskug (“nasty, dirty, messy”), Swedish and Danish nasket (“dirty, foul, unpleasant”).

Alternative theories include:

• 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”)), perhaps ultimately connected to the Scandinavian word above.
• 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.]

Derived terms

• nastygram
• unnasty

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