nastiness

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   Lack of cleanliness.

   • They neither comb their Head, nor wash their Face, / But think their virtuous Nastiness a grace.
2. 2

   Dirt, filth.

3. 3

   Indecency

   Indecency; corruption; unkindness, meanness, spite, harshness, cruelty.

   • Among current novelists, Martin Amis lacks intellectual force but is well supplied with nastiness, which occasionally resembles humor.
   • Despite efforts to curb hate speech, eradicate bullying and extend tolerance, a culture of nastiness has metastasized in which meanness is routinely rewarded, and common decency and civility are brushed aside.
4. ›+ 2 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      Unpleasantness, disagreeableness (to the senses).

      • Some medical beast had revived Tar-water in those days as a fine medicine, and Mrs. Joe always kept a supply of it in the cupboard; having a belief in its virtues correspondent to its nastiness.
      • During the day, the surrounding blocks are no better, full of cheesy bars, tacky shops and brash, neon nastiness.
   2. 5

      A nasty action, object, quality, etc. (all senses of nasty).

      • If we, who are educated, habitually submit to have copper in our preserves, red-lead in our cayenne, alum in our bread, pigments in our tea, and ineffable nastinesses in our fish-sauce, what can we expect of the poor?
      • […] imagine the delights of bathing when the Baths were open to public view, the said public delighting to throw dead cats, offal, and all manner of nastinesses among the bathers!

The neighborhood