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noun (nasties)
  1. something nasty
adjective (nastier, nastiest)
  1. disgusting; physically repellent
  2. indecent or offensive
  3. malicious or spiteful
He tells lies.
  1. very unpleasant
It was a night to venture out.
  1. grave or dangerous
The cyclist had a accident.
Etymology: Unknown. Theories include:
  • Old French nastre = "bad, strange", shortened form of villenastre ="infamous, bad", from vilein = "villain" + -astre (pejorative suffix, from Latin -aster).
  • Dutch nestig = "dirty", literally "like a bird's nest".
  • Old High German naz = "wet"
  • Likely reinforced by a Scandinavian source (compare Swedish dialect naskug = "dirty, nasty").
  • A hardened form of an old word "neshy" = "soft".
  • Modern usage of the word "nasty" is sometimes attributed to the very popular but often derogatory 19th Century American political cartoons of w:Thomas Nast, Thomas Nast.


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