What does "nastiness" mean?
Lack of cleanliness.
Nastiness
noun
noun ·3 syllables ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Lack of cleanliness.
- Grammar: nastiness is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: spite, baseness, bestiality, bitchery.
- Useful contrasts: agreeableness, benevolence, compassion.
- Usage evidence: They neither comb their Head, nor wash their Face, / But think their virtuous Nastiness a grace.
How to use "nastiness"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "nastiness" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "nastiness" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "nastiness" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "nastiness" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "nastiness" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "spite" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "nastiness", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Lack of cleanliness. uncountable
"They neither comb their Head, nor wash their Face, / But think their virtuous Nastiness a grace."
- 2 the quality of being highly unpleasant wordnet
- 3 Dirt, filth. uncountable
"[T]he helliſh Noiſe, the Roaring, Svvearing, and Clamour, the Stench and Naſtineſs, and all the dreadful croud of Afflicting things that I ſavv there; joyn'd together to make the Place ſeem an Emblem of Hell itſelf, and a kind of an Entrance into it."
- 4 malevolence by virtue of being malicious or spiteful or nasty wordnet
- 5 Indecency; corruption; unkindness, meanness, spite, harshness, cruelty. uncountable
"Among current novelists, Martin Amis lacks intellectual force but is well supplied with nastiness, which occasionally resembles humor."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 a state characterized by foul or disgusting dirt and refuse wordnet
- 7 Unpleasantness, disagreeableness (to the senses). uncountable
"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."
- 8 A nasty action, object, quality, etc. (all senses of nasty). countable
"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?"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"They neither comb their Head, nor wash their Face, / But think their virtuous Nastiness a grace."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "nastiness"?
Common synonyms include: spite, baseness, bestiality, bitchery, bitchiness, blue movie.
How do you use "nastiness" in a sentence?
They neither comb their Head, nor wash their Face, / But think their virtuous Nastiness a grace.
Etymology
From nasty + -ness.