Nast

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Dialect or archaic word meaning disagreeable, unpleasant, or offensive to the senses or the temper
2. An old regional form describing something repellent, distasteful, or morally objectionable in a way that provokes disgust
3. Used in older or regional speech to characterize a thing or person as unpleasant, foul, or offensive

Etymology: The form "nast" is best understood as a clipped version of "nasty," though its own history is thinly documented. The likely source of "nasty" is a Middle English word that meant "filthy" or "dirty." Etymologists have proposed a link to Middle Dutch or Middle Low German "nestich," itself tied to "nest," so the original sense was physical grime before it became a word for moral or social distaste. "Nast" appears to have survived mainly as a dialect or informal shortening, where the final "-y" is dropped. Because its attestations are sparse and its usage varies by region, the exact path from "nasty" to "nast" is uncertain, and specific claims about it would go beyond what is firmly known.