| disappr., brit. |
if you describe someone as a nasty piece of work, you think they are very unpleasant or cruel (Underneath I think he's actually a rather nasty piece of work.
 collinsdictionary.com); an unkind or unpleasant person (Her boyfriend is a nasty piece of work.); if someone is a nasty piece of work, they are very unpleasant (What about the husband, then? He's a real nasty piece of work. • Note: Sometimes people use bit instead of piece, or use another adjective instead of nasty: He was a killer and a conman — an all-round nasty bit of work. She was a dreadful piece of work and anyone with eyes could have seen that. thefreedictionary.com); someone who is unkind or unpleasant (macmillandictionary.com); a difficult or disagreeable person or thing (His secretary is a nasty piece of work, always snapping at people for no reason. • I know you're not excited about this family vacation, but please, don't be a nasty piece of work the whole time. • This virus is a nasty piece of work. It's already infected millions of users. thefreedictionary.com); a very unpleasant and dangerous person: (Keep away from Bill Smith – he’s a very nasty piece of work. • The factory manager was a nasty piece of work. We were all terrified of him. thefreedictionary.com); a very unpleasant person (What about the husband, then. He's a real nasty piece of work. collinsdictionary.com); someone who is dishonest, violent, or likely to cause trouble (Cyril and Wyatt had gone around together with that other boy, that Donald, who was a nasty piece of work. • You'd best steer clear of him, Manderley, he's a nasty piece of work. ldoceonline.com) |
