naughty

American  

[naw-tee] / ˈnɔ ti /

adjective

naughtier, naughtiest

1. disobedient; mischievous (used especially in speaking to or about children).

   Weren't we naughty not to eat our spinach?

   Synonyms:

   wayward, willful

2. improper, tasteless, indecorous, or indecent.

   a naughty word.

3. Obsolete. wicked; evil.

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naughty British  

/ ˈnɔːtɪ /

adjective

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

2. mildly indecent; titillating

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noun

1. slang an act of sexual intercourse

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

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; naught + -y ¹

Explanation

Naughty describes someone — or someone’s pet — who is disobedient, bad, rascally, or otherwise poorly behaved. You might remember the word naughty by the way it sounds; think of it as containing the sound "not" as in "Naughty is what you get called when you get caught doing something you were NOT supposed to do!" While naughtiness may be in the eye of the beholder, every human culture seems to have its own version of naughty. For instance, those who celebrate Christmas and want to be on Santa’s “nice” list better avoid any naughty behaviors!

Example Sentences

The naughty boys who played on bomb sites resented the legend of heroism but took pride in capturing the flag.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

"She was an extraordinary person, a brilliant writer, nice person and naughty."

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

Still, with the help of Wall Street, it’s possible to develop a Santa-like list of nice and naughty names.

From Barron's • Dec. 25, 2025

“Anti-semitism is not just naughty, it’s immoral,” Carlson said.

From Salon • Dec. 19, 2025

She was pleased to see me with my nose buried in a book, any book, so long as it wasn’t naughty.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

Related Words

• headstrong
• impish
• mischievous
• playful
• rowdy
• wicked