# nasty

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈnaː.sti/ · frequency rank #4,966

## Definitions
1. Dirty, filthy.
2. Contemptible, unpleasant (of a person).
3. Objectionable, unpleasant (of a thing); repellent, offensive.
4. Indecent or offensive; obscene, lewd.
5. Spiteful, unkind.
6. Awkward, difficult to navigate; dangerous.
7. Grave or dangerous (of an accident, illness etc.).
8. Formidable, terrific; wicked.

## 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.

## Easily confused with
- **Nat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nasty-vs-nat)
- **nay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nasty-vs-nay)
- **navy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nasty-vs-navy)
- **nest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nasty-vs-nest)
- **NATO** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nasty-vs-nato)
- **Nate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nasty-vs-nate)
- **Nats** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nasty-vs-nats)
- **nosy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nasty-vs-nosy)
- **Nath** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nasty-vs-nath)
- **NIST** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nasty-vs-nist)
- **nutty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nasty-vs-nutty)
- **nifty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nasty-vs-nifty)
- **natty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nasty-vs-natty)
- **nitty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nasty-vs-nitty)
- **NAS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nas-vs-nasty)
- **NASA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nasa-vs-nasty)
- **Nash** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nash-vs-nasty)
- **Nagy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nagy-vs-nasty)
- **nary** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nary-vs-nasty)
- **nasi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nasi-vs-nasty)

## Common misspellings (8)
`ansty`, `nassty`, `nastty`, `nastyy`, `nasyt`, `natsy`, `nnasty`, `nsaty`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/nasty