nasty
gb/nˈæsti/ us/nˈæsti/
B1
English
~ 7700
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
very unpleasant or offensive
Very unpleasant and making you feel bad, uncomfortable, or sick.
Usage pattern:
a nasty [smell/taste/shock/mess]
Common mistake:
Learners often use "nasty" in very formal writing, where a more neutral word like "unpleasant" or "unfavorable" is better. They may also confuse it with "bad"; "nasty" is usually stronger and suggests disgust or strong discomfort, not just low quality.
Synonyms
unpleasant (More general and slightly weaker; does not always suggest disgust.)
|
disgusting (Stronger than "nasty" and focuses more on making someone feel sick.)
Antonyms
pleasant (Describes something that gives a good or enjoyable feeling, opposite of unpleasant.)
|
nice (Informal and positive, often used where "nasty" would describe a negative experience.)
Collocations
nasty smell
|nasty taste
|nasty odor
|nasty mess
|nasty shock
|nasty headache
Themes
daily life
|emotions
|health
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- There was a nasty smell coming from the fridge.
- That fish has a really nasty taste; I think it’s gone bad.
- I woke up with a nasty headache after the party.
- The kitchen looks nasty after the party; there are dirty plates everywhere.
Learner examples
- There is a nasty smell in the room.
- This milk has a nasty taste.
- The bathroom is nasty and needs cleaning.
- I got a nasty feeling when I entered the dark house.
adjective
informal
B1
property
2
unkind, cruel, or spiteful
Saying or doing things that are very unkind and may hurt other people’s feelings.
Usage pattern:
a nasty [person/comment/remark/message]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "nasty" only means physically dirty or disgusting and forget it can also describe people or their words. Also, they may use it in polite or professional emails where "rude" or "unkind" would sound more appropriate.
Synonyms
mean (Very close in meaning in informal English; often slightly less strong than "nasty".)
|
spiteful (Focuses more on wanting to hurt or upset someone on purpose.)
Antonyms
kind (Shows care and concern for others, opposite of cruel or unkind.)
|
nice (Informal general positive adjective for pleasant, friendly behavior.)
Collocations
nasty comment
|nasty remark
|nasty email
|nasty message
|nasty person
|nasty temper
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She can be really nasty when she’s stressed.
- Someone posted a lot of nasty comments about him online.
- That was a nasty thing to say to your sister.
- He sent a nasty email to his colleague and later had to apologize.
Learner examples
- He said a nasty thing to his friend.
- She wrote a nasty comment on the photo.
- Don’t be nasty to your little brother.
- People can be very nasty on the internet.
unknown
B2
property
3
dangerous or very serious
Very bad and serious, and possibly dangerous or painful.
Usage pattern:
a nasty [injury/fall/virus/storm]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with the general "unpleasant" meaning and use it for small problems, like "a nasty pencil mistake". In many contexts, if something is just a little bad, "small" or "minor" is better than "nasty".
Synonyms
serious (More general and slightly more formal; does not carry the emotional tone of "nasty".)
|
dangerous (Focuses on the risk of harm, not always on how unpleasant it feels.)
Antonyms
minor (Describes small or not serious injuries or problems, opposite of severe.)
|
mild (Describes gentle or not strong conditions, such as a mild illness.)
Collocations
nasty fall
|nasty injury
|nasty cut
|nasty virus
|nasty storm
|nasty accident
Themes
health
|safety
|weather
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He had a nasty fall on the ice and broke his ankle.
- That’s a nasty cut; you should see a doctor.
- She caught a nasty virus last winter and was sick for weeks.
- We drove home early to avoid a nasty storm that was coming in.
Learner examples
- He got a nasty cut on his hand.
- She had a nasty fall down the stairs.
- My friend has a nasty virus and can’t go to work.
- There was a nasty storm last night.
adjective
B2
property
4
very difficult or troublesome
Hard and unpleasant to deal with, and often causing problems or stress.
Usage pattern:
a nasty [problem/surprise/situation/question]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes overuse "nasty" instead of more specific words like "complicated", "serious", or "difficult", especially in formal writing. In academic or business texts, it is often better to avoid "nasty" and choose a more neutral term.
Synonyms
tough (Informal and focuses on difficulty, without always implying unpleasantness.)
|
tricky (Emphasizes that something is hard to handle or solve, often in a clever way rather than strongly unpleasant.)
Antonyms
easy (Not difficult to do or handle, opposite of challenging and troublesome.)
|
simple (Clear and uncomplicated, opposite of complex and problematic.)
Collocations
nasty surprise
|nasty problem
|nasty situation
|nasty question
|nasty shock
|nasty dispute
Themes
work
|problems
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We’ve run into a nasty problem with the new software.
- The exam had some nasty questions at the end.
- The company is in a nasty financial situation right now.
- We got a nasty surprise when we saw how high the bill was.
Learner examples
- We have a nasty problem at work.
- The test had some nasty questions.
- They are in a nasty money situation.
- I got a nasty surprise when I opened the letter.
adjective
vulgar
C1
property
5
sexually explicit or obscene
Showing or talking about sex in a rude or very direct way that many people think is not acceptable.
Usage pattern:
nasty [pictures/videos/jokes/messages]
Common mistake:
Learners may use this sense without realizing it has a sexual or rude meaning in many contexts. In polite or formal situations, it is safer to use "rude", "offensive", or "sexually explicit" instead of "nasty".
Synonyms
obscene (More formal and legal-sounding; strongly negative and often used in serious contexts.)
|
dirty (Common in informal speech for sexual content; can be slightly less strong than "nasty".)
Antonyms
innocent (Describes content with no sexual or rude meaning.)
|
clean (In this context, means free from sexual or rude material.)
Collocations
nasty pictures
|nasty videos
|nasty messages
|nasty jokes
|nasty sex scenes
|nasty websites
Themes
sexuality
|communication
|media
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He was fired for sending nasty pictures to a coworker.
- She blocked him after he started sending nasty messages late at night.
- The website was full of nasty videos and got taken down.
- He made a nasty joke that made everyone uncomfortable.
Learner examples
- He sent nasty pictures to her phone.
- She does not like nasty jokes.
- There are many nasty videos on that website.
- He wrote a nasty message, so she blocked him.
Noun
informal
C1
entity
6
harmful or unpleasant things
Bad things like germs, chemicals, or other things that can hurt you, often said as "nasties" in a light or friendly way.
Usage pattern:
[someone] removes/kills the nasties
Synonyms
germs (Focuses specifically on microorganisms that cause disease, while "nasties" can also include other harmful things.)
Antonyms
cleanliness (Describes a state without dirt or harmful substances, opposite of having "nasties" present.)
Collocations
kill the nasties
|remove the nasties
|protect from nasties
|online nasties
|all the nasties
Themes
health
|safety
|technology
|science
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- This cleaner kills all the nasties in your bathroom.
- Parents worry about the nasties their kids can find online.
- The filter removes most of the nasties from the water before you drink it.
Learner examples
- This soap kills the nasties on your hands.
- The water filter takes out the nasties from the water.
- Parents want to protect children from the nasties on the internet.
Grammar
Dictionary form
nasty
IPA
GB/nˈæsti/
US/nˈæsti/
Syllables & stress
nasty (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (nasty)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: nasty
- Comparative: nastier
- Superlative: nastiest
Word family
Forms
nastier
adjective
nastiest
adjective
Core family
nastily
adverb
nastiness
noun
Negative and opposite forms
nice
adjective A1
Expressions
a nasty piece of work
1/ə nˈæsti pˈis əv wˈɚk/
idiom
informal
very unpleasant or cruel person
A person who is very unkind, unpleasant, and often cruel.
Examples
- Be careful around him; he’s a nasty piece of work.
- Everyone agrees that their old boss was a nasty piece of work.
do the nasty
1/dˈu ðə nˈæsti/
idiom
vulgar
have sexual intercourse (slang)
To have sex with someone. This is slang and can sound rude or funny.
Examples
- He joked that they went back to her place to do the nasty.
- That song is basically about two people wanting to do the nasty.
get nasty
1/ɡˈɛt nˈæsti/
fixed phrase
informal
become aggressive or very unpleasant
To start acting in a very unfriendly, angry, or mean way.
Examples
- The argument started calmly, but things got nasty very quickly.
- He gets nasty when he’s been drinking too much.
leave a nasty taste in someone's mouth
1/lˈiv ə nˈæsti tˈeɪst ˈɪn sˈʌmwˌʌnz mˈaʊθ/
idiom
cause lasting disgust or discomfort
To make someone feel upset, angry, or disgusted about something that happened, even after it is over.
Examples
- The way the manager spoke to her left a nasty taste in my mouth.
- The whole experience with that company left a nasty taste in his mouth.
nasty habit
1/nˈæsti hˈæbət/
fixed phrase
very unpleasant or disgusting habit
A habit that other people find very unpleasant or disgusting.
Examples
- He has a nasty habit of interrupting people when they talk.
- Biting your nails can be a nasty habit to break.
nasty shock
1/nˈæsti ʃˈɑk/
fixed phrase
sudden and very upsetting surprise
A sudden event or piece of news that makes you feel very upset or afraid.
Examples
- It was a nasty shock when he suddenly lost his job.
- Getting the diagnosis was a nasty shock for the whole family.
nasty surprise
1/nˈæsti səpɹˈaɪz/
fixed phrase
unpleasant unexpected event or news
Something bad that you did not expect.
Examples
- We had a nasty surprise when we saw how much the repairs cost.
- The test contained a few nasty surprises for the students.