naughty

1 of 2

adjective

naugh·​ty ˈnȯ-tē  ˈnä- 

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!

naughtily

ˈnȯ-tə-lē 

ˈnä-

adverb

naughtiness

ˈnȯ-tē-nəs 

ˈnä-

noun

naughtiness

2 of 2

noun

naugh·​ti·​ness |ēnə̇s 

|in-

plural -es

1

: the quality or state of being naughty

2

: a naughty act or impulse

Synonyms of naughty

Adjective

• mischievous
• bad

Examples of naughty in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

Romantic, criminal and naughty hijinks ensue and bonds are tested — and ultimately reinforced. — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Queen Elizabeth—long known as a lover of horses—was a frequent recipient of the pony’s naughty side, like in 2017, when Corporal Cruachan attempted to take a bite of the flowers the queen was holding during a visit to Stirling Castle. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 18 Aug. 2026

When Martín is kidnapped by a monster, Cleo ventures into the jungle to rescue him, aided by an elderly witch and a naughty anteater. — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 9 July 2026

People would hang from windows, encouraging you to do naughty things, and my thumb has never been sorer from back-and-forth gestures. — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English noughti, from nought

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for naughty

• dotty
• doughty
• draughty
• haughty
• knotty
• potty
• scottie
• spotty
• strati
• zloty
• basmati
• bharati

Kids Definition

naughty

adjective

naugh·​ty ˈnȯt-ē 

ˈnät-

naughtier; naughtiest

: behaving badly or improperly

naughtily

ˈnȯt-ᵊl-ē 

ˈnät-

adverb

naughtiness

ˈnȯt-ē-nəs 

ˈnät-

noun