nastiness

Nastiness is when someone behaves badly or does something mean-spirited. It can also describe something that's unpleasant or unattractive.

When we talk about nastiness, it's usually referring to people's behavior - how they treat others. If you hear someone say "that was really nasty", they're probably talking about a hurtful comment or action. Maybe someone in a movie said something cruel, and the reviewer thought that line was nasty. Or perhaps you had a mean argument with a friend and later realized your words were very nasty. It's not just about being rude; nastiness can be subtle too - a backhanded compliment is often considered nasty because it's insincere or condescending.