naughtier; naughtiest
1
a
: guilty of disobedience or misbehavior
a naughty child
b
archaic
: vicious in moral character : wicked
2
: lacking in taste or propriety
No naughty jokes in front of the children, please!
Examples of naughty in a Sentence
She gave him a naughty smile.
told her to act her age and stop throwing temper tantrums like a naughty little girl
Recent Examples on the Web
No one in the stadium could believe it, least of all Labuschagne who stood hands on hips before trudging away like a naughty boy to his bedroom.
—
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
But even then, none of this guarantees that Dodoma won’t end up on some sort of naughty list or see potential US investments curtailed.
—Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 15 Dec. 2025
To get into the holiday spirit, the Audubon Aquarium has also started naughty and nice lists for its turtle guests.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
Sycamore’s controversial holiday beer labels For about six years, Sycamore also has come to be known around Charlotte for its naughty annual holiday beer can design.
—Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for naughty
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Tim Spiers, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
But even then, none of this guarantees that Dodoma won’t end up on some sort of naughty list or see potential US investments curtailed.
—Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 15 Dec. 2025
To get into the holiday spirit, the Audubon Aquarium has also started naughty and nice lists for its turtle guests.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
Sycamore’s controversial holiday beer labels For about six years, Sycamore also has come to be known around Charlotte for its naughty annual holiday beer can design.
—Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for naughty
Cite this Entry
“Naughty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/naughty. Accessed 22 Dec. 2025.
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