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Antonyms for nastiness

Grammar : Noun
Spell : nas-tee
Phonetic Transcription : ˈnæs ti

Definition of nastiness

Origin :
  • c.1400, "foul, filthy, dirty, unclean," of unknown origin; perhaps [Barnhart] from Old French nastre "miserly, envious, malicious, spiteful," shortened form of villenastre "infamous, bad," from vilein "villain" + -astre, pejorative suffix, from Latin -aster.
  • Alternative etymology [OED] is from Dutch nestig "dirty," literally "like a bird's nest." Likely reinforced in either case by a Scandinavian source (cf. Swedish dialectal naskug "dirty, nasty"), which also might be the source of the Middle English word. Of weather, from 1630s; of things generally, "unpleasant, offensive," from 1705. Of people, "ill-tempered," from 1825. Noun meaning "something nasty" is from 1935. Related: Nastily; nastiness.
  • noun malevolence
Example sentences :
  • These pyramids of nastiness are ever to be found within the city.
  • Extract from : « Perils and Captivity » by Charlotte-Adlade [ne Picard] Dard
  • But if there is some nastiness there is very little naughtiness in them.
  • Extract from : « Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol III » by John Cleveland
  • As she ate what she had begged, she growled, Why am I eating this nastiness?
  • Extract from : « Curiosities of Olden Times » by S. Baring-Gould
  • There is a fashion of saying these things, and much other nastiness.
  • Extract from : « First and Last » by H. Belloc
  • He has been at pains too great to disguise the fact of its nastiness.
  • Extract from : « The London Mercury, Vol. I, Nos. 1-6, November 1919 to April 1920 » by Various
  • It's the Frenchman's nastiness, it's the Jews', it's Wilhelm's.
  • Extract from : « Letters of Anton Chekhov » by Anton Chekhov
  • The thing itself is an exaggeration of nastiness, which cannot be outdone.
  • Extract from : « American Notes for General Circulation » by Charles Dickens
  • He laughed aloud and a hint of nastiness was again in the tone.
  • Extract from : « Bruce of the Circle A » by Harold Titus
  • Such neurasthenics are shameless in the description of their nastiness.
  • Extract from : « Essays In Pastoral Medicine » by Austin Malley
  • The people have no ancestry to boast of; all its nastiness is near the surface.
  • Extract from : « The Awful Australian » by Valerie Desmond

Synonyms for nastiness

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019