nasty

Meanings

Adjective

• Dirty, filthy.
• Contemptible, unpleasant (of a person).
• Objectionable, unpleasant (of a thing); repellent, offensive.
• Indecent or offensive; obscene, lewd.
• Spiteful, unkind.
• Awkward, difficult to navigate; dangerous.
• Grave or dangerous (of an accident, illness etc.).
• Formidable, terrific; wicked.

Noun

• Something nasty.
• Sexual intercourse.
• A video nasty.

Origin

• From Middle English nasty, nasti, naxty, naxte, probably from Old Norse *nask- -y, whence also Early Modern English nasky. Compare Swedish naskig, naskug, Swedish and Danish nasket. Compare also Low German nask.
• Alternative theories include:
• From Old French nastre, shortened form of villenastre, from vilein + -astre, from Latin -aster.
• , perhaps ultimately connected to the Scandinavian word above.
• Other suggestions include Old High German naz, hardening of English nesh, 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.