naughty
Americanadjective
-
(esp of children or their behaviour) mischievous or disobedient; bad
-
mildly indecent; titillating
noun
Usage
What does naughty mean? Naughty means disobedient, mischievous, or generally misbehaving, particularly when applied to children.Naughty is usually used in reference to misbehavior that’s minor or mischievous, as opposed to more serious disobedience. In this way, it’s also sometimes applied to pets.Example: If you kids start to get naughty before bedtime, I’m going to take away your TV privileges. In a much different context, naughty is used to describe things that are sexually suggestive, as in naughty jokes, or things that pertain to sex, often in a way that’s hidden, forbidden, or secret. In this way, it is often used playfully or as a euphemism (a milder substitute of what is being referred to).Example: Oh my God, have you two been doing naughty stuff in the supply shed?
Other Word Forms
- naughtily adverb
- naughtiness noun
Etymology
Origin of naughty
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The naughty boys who played on bomb sites resented the legend of heroism but took pride in capturing the flag.
"We can be naughty, we can be mischievous, we can be cheeky, we can have fun, we can have great banter too," he says.
From BBC
"I'm not being naughty or anything. I'm not doing anything at all."
From Literature
His lips would twitch and pucker for a second before they stretched into a curve, like someone who had just done something naughty and wasn’t going to tell you what it was.
From Literature
"She was an extraordinary person, a brilliant writer, nice person and naughty."
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
