Nasty vs. Disgusting — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 30, 2024
"Nasty" implies unpleasantness or offensiveness, often with a mild to moderate intensity; "disgusting" describes something that causes a strong sense of revulsion, typically more intense and visceral.
Difference Between Nasty and Disgusting
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Key Differences
The term "nasty" often conveys a general sense of unpleasantness, which can refer to behavior, conditions, or physical sensations that are mildly offensive or disagreeable. Whereas "disgusting" specifically implies a stronger, more visceral reaction, often related to repulsion or physical sickness.
Nasty can be used in a broader context, including metaphorical uses like a "nasty remark" or "nasty weather," which denote negativity but not necessarily causing revulsion. On the other hand, "disgusting" is almost exclusively used to describe extreme offensiveness or something that strongly offends the senses, particularly taste or smell.
In social interactions, calling someone's actions nasty may suggest malevolence or spitefulness, but it's typically less severe than describing something as disgusting, which might be reserved for actions that are morally reprehensible or exceptionally vile.
The intensity of the response elicited is a key difference; "nasty" might only cause a mild annoyance or discomfort, whereas "disgusting" is likely to invoke a strong urge to avoid or escape the stimulus, often due to it being repulsive or sickening.
Nasty can also have a slightly playful or less serious connotation in some contexts, such as in sports or competition, where it might describe a particularly effective but aggressive play. Conversely, "disgusting" rarely has a positive connotation and is overwhelming negative.
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Comparison Chart
Intensity
Mild to moderate
Strong, visceral
Usage
Broader, can be metaphorical
Specific, typically physical senses
Social Context
Can suggest spite, not severe
Implies strong moral repulsion
Response
Annoyance, discomfort
Revulsion, urge to escape
Connotation
Sometimes playful
Overwhelmingly negative
Compare with Definitions
Nasty
Unpleasant or offensive.
The nasty smell in the room made her wrinkle her nose.
Disgusting
Extremely unpleasant to the senses.
The smell was so disgusting that it was hard to breathe.
Nasty
Difficult or problematic.
They faced a nasty problem with the plumbing.
Disgusting
Morally offensive.
He was known for his disgusting behavior.
Nasty
Harsh or severe.
The storm turned nasty by the evening.
Disgusting
Causing revulsion or strong disapproval.
The disgusting state of the bathrooms turned her stomach.
Nasty
Formidable in competition.
The player’s nasty serve won him the game.
Disgusting
Repulsively dirty or obscene.
The alley was filled with disgusting garbage.
Nasty
Spiteful or mean.
He made a nasty comment during the argument.
Disgusting
Describing something repugnant.
The scene was so disgusting that many turned away.
Nasty
Very bad or unpleasant
Plastic bags burn with a nasty, acrid smell
Dad's had a nasty accident
Disgusting
Arousing disgust; repugnant.
Nasty
Behaving in an unpleasant or spiteful way
Harry was a nasty, foul-mouthed old devil
Disgusting
Causing disgust; repulsive; distasteful.
Nasty
Damaging or harmful
A nasty, vicious-looking hatchet
Disgusting
Present participle of disgust
Nasty
An unpleasant or harmful person or thing
A water conditioner to neutralize chlorine and other nasties
Disgusting
That causes disgust; sickening; offensive; revolting.
Nasty
Disgusting or repellent
A nasty odor rising from the garbage can.
Disgusting
Highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust;
A disgusting smell
Distasteful language
A loathsome disease
The idea of eating meat is repellent to me
Revolting food
A wicked stench
Nasty
Unpleasantly cold or wet
Nasty weather.
Nasty
(Archaic) Dirty; filthy.
Nasty
Morally offensive or indecent
A nasty film.
Nasty
Unpleasant or annoying
A nasty habit.
Nasty
Mean or spiteful
Stop being nasty to each other.
Nasty
Painful or dangerous; grave
A nasty accident.
Nasty
Exasperatingly difficult to solve or handle
A nasty puzzle.
A nasty problem.
Nasty
One that is nasty
"It is the business of museums to present us with nasties as well as with fine things" (Country Life).
Nasty
Dirty, filthy.
Nasty
Contemptible, unpleasant (of a person).
Nasty
Objectionable, unpleasant (of a thing); repellent, offensive.
Nasty
Indecent or offensive; obscene, lewd.
Nasty
Spiteful, unkind.
Nasty
Awkward, difficult to navigate; dangerous.
Nasty
Grave or dangerous (of an accident, illness etc.).
Nasty
Formidable, terrific; wicked.
Nasty
(informal) Something nasty.
Processed foods are full of aspartame and other nasties.
This video game involves flying through a maze zapping various nasties.
Nasty
A video nasty.
Nasty
Offensively filthy; very dirty, foul, or defiled; disgusting; nauseous.
Nasty
Hence, loosely: Offensive; disagreeable; unpropitious; wet; drizzling; as, a nasty rain, day, sky.
Nasty
Characterized by obscenity; indecent; indelicate; gross; filthy.
Nasty
Vicious; offensively ill-tempered; insultingly mean; spiteful; as, a nasty disposition.
Nasty
Difficult to deal with; troublesome; as, he fell of his bike and got a nasty bruise on his knee.
Nasty
Offensive or even (of persons) malicious;
In a nasty mood
A nasty accident
A nasty shock
A nasty smell
A nasty trick to pull
Will he say nasty things at my funeral?
Nasty
Exasperatingly difficult to handle or circumvent;
A nasty problem
A good man to have on your side in a tight situation
Nasty
Thoroughly unpleasant;
Filthy (or foul or nasty or vile) weather we're having
Nasty
Characterized by obscenity;
Had a filthy mouth
Foul language
Smutty jokes
Nasty
Disgustingly dirty; filled or smeared with offensive matter;
As filthy as a pigsty
A foul pond
A nasty pigsty of a room
Common Curiosities
Can a situation be both nasty and disgusting?
Yes, situations can be both if they are unpleasant and also revolting.
How does cultural context influence the use of nasty and disgusting?
Cultural context can affect the threshold of what is considered nasty or disgusting, depending on societal norms and tolerance.
Is disgusting always negative?
Yes, disgusting is overwhelmingly used in a negative context.
Can weather be described as disgusting?
Weather is usually not described as disgusting unless it causes a physical revulsion, like from a foul smell; it's more commonly called nasty.
How do reactions to nasty and disgusting differ?
Reactions to something nasty are generally milder than reactions to something disgusting, which can include physical symptoms like gagging.
What type of behavior is typically described as disgusting?
Behavior that is morally reprehensible or particularly vile is often described as disgusting.
What makes something nasty rather than disgusting?
Something is typically called nasty if it is unpleasant or mildly offensive; disgusting refers to causing strong revulsion.
What are examples of things commonly described as disgusting?
Rotten food, filthy conditions, and morally offensive actions are commonly described as disgusting.
Are nasty and disgusting interchangeable in describing food?
While both can be used, disgusting is stronger and refers to something that causes nausea or revulsion.
How does the emotional impact of nasty compare to disgusting?
Nasty causes discomfort or annoyance, while disgusting can trigger a deeper emotional response of revulsion or disgust.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
