What does nastier mean?
“Nastier” is the comparative form of “nasty” and means more unpleasant, disagreeable, or objectionable. It can describe an experience, smell, situation, or person’s behavior. The word often conveys an informal, everyday judgment rather than a formal or technical assessment: a journey may be nastier, a person may be nastier, or a task may become nastier than expected. In personal contexts, “nastier” can suggest increased unkindness, cruelty, or unpleasantness of character. Because it compares two things, it is usually used with “than,” as in “the second version was nastier than the first.”
adjectiveComparative form of “nasty”: more unpleasant, unkind, difficult, or objectionable than something else.
- More unpleasant, disagreeable, or difficult.
- More unkind, malicious, or morally objectionable.
- More physically unpleasant, such as a stronger unpleasant smell or taste.
"The second half of the journey was even nastier than the first."
"The weather turned nastier just as we reached the coast."
"She had heard stories about his nastier temperament but had not expected them to be true."
Sometimes the biggest problem is not the nasty part, but the nastier part that follows it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does nastier come from?
“Nasty” comes from Middle English and was recorded in the 16th century, probably influenced by earlier forms meaning difficult or troublesome and by words associated with physical discomfort. Its precise origin is uncertain, and proposals linking it to unrelated words should be treated cautiously. The comparative form “nastier” was formed by adding the standard -er ending to “nasty.”
Related word forms
How nastier is actually used
Informal to neutral in register. “Nastier” is commonly used for both physical unpleasantness and unpleasant personal behavior, with the precise sense depending on context.
Easily confused with nastier
“Nastier” is the comparative form of “nasty,” while “nastierly” is a rare adverb meaning “in a nasty manner.”