nasty

Very unpleasant, bad, or likely to hurt you.

• There is a nasty smell here.
• He had a nasty fall yesterday.
• That cough sounds nasty; are you feeling all right?

Similar words: unpleasant, awful

Opposites: pleasant

Common phrases: nasty smell, nasty accident, nasty surprise

Unkind or unpleasant in the way you treat other people.

• Stop being nasty to her.
• He made a nasty remark about my clothes.
• Why were they so nasty to the new boy?

How to use it: nasty to someone (He was nasty to his younger brother.)

Similar words: mean, unkind, spiteful

Opposites: kind, nice

Common phrases: nasty person, nasty to someone, nasty remark

Very dirty in a way that makes you feel disgusted.

• The bathroom was nasty.
• Someone left a nasty mess in the kitchen.
• She cleaned the nasty stains from the carpet.

Similar words: filthy, dirty

Opposites: clean

Common phrases: nasty bathroom, nasty mess, nasty stains

Something unpleasant or harmful, often a substance or a small creature.

• A little nasty was crawling on the sink.
• This filter removes nasties from the water.
• Check the label for hidden chemical nasties.

Common phrases: hidden nasty, a little nasty, a chemical nasty