| Definitions | | nasty |
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noun (nasties)
- something nasty
adjective (nastier, nastiest)
- disgusting; physically repellent
- indecent or offensive
- malicious or spiteful
- He tells lies.
- very unpleasant
- It was a night to venture out.
- 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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