naughty

[ naw-tee ]

/ ˈnɔ ti /

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See synonyms for: naughty / naughtily / naughtiness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, naugh·ti·er, naugh·ti·est.

disobedient; mischievous (used especially in speaking to or about children): Weren't we naughty not to eat our spinach?

improper, tasteless, indecorous, or indecent: a naughty word.

Obsolete. wicked; evil.

OTHER WORDS FOR naughty

1 willful, wayward, misbehaving.

See synonyms for naughty on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of naughty

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at naught, -y¹

OTHER WORDS FROM naughty

naugh·ti·ly, adverbnaugh·ti·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use naughty in a sentence

Kristiansen, who has produced most of her films, smiled naughtily.
In ‘Tears of Gaza,’ Vibeke Løkkeberg Focuses on Children of War|Lorenza Muñoz|September 21, 2012|DAILY BEAST
You naughtily implied something of that kind just when you were running away from me.
George Eliot's Life, Vol. II (of 3)|George Eliot
It was the father of the bright boy that had so naughtily looked into the window—who owned the wagon.
The Gold Brick|Ann S. Stephens
It was the sacred Sunday, the evening of the "family-group," as the grandchildren naughtily called it among themselves.
Small Souls|Louis Couperus

But, when on the landing-place, he naughtily drew out the cork to have a taste himself.
Forgotten Tales of Long Ago|E. V. Lucas
Then Lily proceeded to unfold a plan, which was not philosophical, but naughtily ingenious.
The Copy-Cat and Other Stories|Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

British Dictionary definitions for naughty

naughty

/ (ˈnɔːtɪ) /

adjective -tier or -tiest

(esp of children or their behaviour) mischievous or disobedient; bad

mildly indecent; titillating

noun plural -ties

Australian and NZ slang an act of sexual intercourse

Derived forms of naughty

naughtily, adverbnaughtiness, noun

Word Origin for naughty

C14 (originally: needy, of poor quality): from naught

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

naughty

OTHER WORDS FOR naughty

Origin of naughty

OTHER WORDS FROM naughty

Words related to naughty

How to use naughty in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for naughty

Derived forms of naughty

Word Origin for naughty