different between moist vs nasty

English

Etymology

From Middle English moiste (“moist, wet", also "fresh”), from Anglo-Norman moiste and Middle French moiste (“damp, mouldy, wet”), of obscure origin and formation. Perhaps from a late variant of Latin m?cidus (“slimy, musty”) combined with a reflex of Latin mustum (“must”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /m??st/
• Rhymes: -??st

Adjective

moist (comparative moister or more moist, superlative moistest or most moist)

1. Slightly wet; characterised by the presence of moisture, not dry; damp. [from 14th c.]
   • 1937, "Modernist Miracle", Time, 1 Nov 1937:

     Joseph Smith, a diffident, conscientious young man with moist hands and an awkward, absent-minded manner, was head gardener at Wotton Vanborough.

   • 2011, Dominic Streatfeild, The Guardian, 7 Jan 2011:

     "The other car didn't explode," continues Shujaa. "The explosives were a bit moist. They had been stored in a place that was too humid."

2. Of eyes: tearful, wet with tears. [from 14th c.]
   • 1974, "Mitchell and Stans: Not Guilty", Time, 6 Dec 1974:

     Eyes moist, he hugged one of his attorneys and later said: "I feel like I've been reborn."

3. Of weather, climate etc.: rainy, damp. [from 14th c.]
   • 2008, Graham Harvey, The Guardian, 8 Sep 2008:

     With its mild, moist climate, Britain is uniquely placed to grow good grass.

4. (sciences, historical) Pertaining to one of the four essential qualities formerly believed to be present in all things, characterised by wetness. [from 14th c.]
   • :

     Pituita, or phlegm, is a cold and moist humour, begotten of the colder parts of the chylus […]

5. (obsolete) Watery, liquid, fluid. [14th-17th c.]
   • 1658, Sir Thomas Browne, Hydriotaphia:

     Some being of the opinion of Thales, that water was the originall of all things, thought it most equall to submit unto the principle of putrefaction, and conclude in a moist relentment.

6. (medicine) Characterised by the presence of pus, mucus etc. [from 14th c.]
7. (colloquial) Sexually lubricated (of the vagina); sexually aroused, turned on (of a woman). [from 20th c.]
   • 2008, Marcia King-Gamble, Meet Phoenix, p. 168:

     He slid a finger in me, checking to make sure I was moist and ready for him.

Usage notes

Moist is mostly used for agreeable conditions while damp is mainly used for disagreeable conditions:

• moist cake
• damp clothes

Synonyms

• (slightly wet): damp, thone/thoan (dialect); see also Thesaurus:wet
• (tearful): dewy-eyed, misty, weepy, wet
• (rainy, damp): dank or see Thesaurus:muggy
• (watery, liquid, fluid): liquidlike; see also Thesaurus:fluidic

Related terms

• moisten
• moist media
• moisture

Translations

Verb

moist (third-person singular simple present moists, present participle moisting, simple past and past participle moisted)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To moisten.

References

Anagrams

• omits

Livonian

Alternative forms

• (Courland) m?istõ

Etymology

Related to Estonian mõistma (“understand”) and Finnish muistaa (“remember”).

Verb

moist

1. understand

Middle English

Adjective

moist

1. Alternative form of moiste

English

Etymology

From Middle English nasty, nasti, naxty, naxte (“unclean, filthy”), probably from Old Norse *nask- +? -y, whence also Early Modern English nasky (“nasty”). Compare Swedish naskig, naskug (“nasty, dirty, messy”), Swedish and Danish nasket (“dirty, foul, unpleasant”). Compare also Low German nask (“nasty”).

Alternative theories include:

• From Old French nastre (“bad, strange”), shortened form of villenastre (“infamous, bad”), from vilein (“villain”) + -astre (pejorative suffix), from Latin -aster.
• Middle Dutch nestich, nistich ("nasty, dirty, unpleasant"; > Modern Dutch nestig (“dirty, filthy, unclean”)), perhaps ultimately connected to the Scandinavian word above.
• Other suggestions include Old High German naz (“wet”), hardening of English nesh(y) (“soft”), or alteration of English naughty.
• Modern use of the word is sometimes attributed to the popular and often derogatory 19th century American political cartoons of Thomas Nast, but the word predates him.

Pronunciation

• (AusE) IPA^(key): /?na?.sti/
  • Rhymes: -??sti
• (UK) IPA^(key): /?n??.sti/
  • Rhymes: -??sti
• (US) IPA^(key): /?næs.ti/
  • Rhymes: -æsti

Adjective

nasty (comparative nastier, superlative nastiest)

1. (now chiefly US) Dirty, filthy. [from 14th c.]
   • 2006, Marie Fontaine, The Chronicles of my Ghetto Street Volume One, p. 156:

     I really don't have any friends at school Mama Mia. They talk about me all the time. They say my hair's nappy and my clothes are nasty.

2. Contemptible, unpleasant (of a person). [from 15th c.]
   • 1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula:

     Jonathan kept staring at him, till I was afraid he would notice. I feared he might take it ill, he looked so fierce and nasty.

3. Objectionable, unpleasant (of a thing); repellent, offensive. [from 16th c.]
   • 1838, Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist:

     ‘It's a nasty trade,’ said Mr. Limbkins, when Gamfield had again stated his wish.

4. Indecent or offensive; obscene, lewd. [from 17th c.]
   • 1933, Dorothy L Sayers, Murder Must Advertise:

     He said to Mr. Tallboy he thought the headline was a bit hot. And Mr. Tallboy said he had a nasty mind.

   • 2009, Okera H, Be Your Priority, Not His Option, Mill City Press 2009, p. 45:

     We want threesomes, blowjobs, and orgies. That's just the way it is. We want the good girl who's nasty in bed.

5. Spiteful, unkind. [from 19th c.]
   • 2012, The Guardian, 3 Jun 2012:

     She had said: "I love the block button on Twitter. I don't know how people expect to send a nasty comment and not get blocked."

6. (chiefly Britain) Awkward, difficult to navigate; dangerous. [from 19th c.]
   • 2007, The Observer, 5 Aug 2007:

     There was a nasty period during the First World War when the family's allegiance was called into question - not least because one of the Schroders had been made a baron by the Kaiser.

7. (chiefly Britain) Grave or dangerous (of an accident, illness etc.). [from 19th c.]
   • 2012, James Ball, The Guardian, 2 Mar 2012:

     Moving into the middle ages, William the Conqueror managed to rout the English and rule the country, then see off numerous plots and assassination attempts, before his horse did for him in a nasty fall, killing him at 60.

8. (slang, chiefly US) Formidable, terrific; wicked. [from 20th c.]

Translations

Derived terms

• nastygram

Noun

nasty (plural nasties)

1. (informal) Something nasty.

2. (euphemistic, slang, preceded by "the") Sexual intercourse.
3. A video nasty.
   • 1984, ThirdWay (volume 7, number 5, page 17)

     In this way, it is hoped that the nasties will be dealt with, and the remainder regularized.

Derived terms

• do the nasty
• video nasty

References

Anagrams

• Ansty, Santy, Tansy, Yants, antsy, tansy