naughtily

adverb

Definition of naughtilynext
as in awfully

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of naughtily The outsize failings of the men in power demand a grand reimagining of the consequences of those failings, and Helen of Nowhere offers up, exhilaratingly and naughtily, a myth for the man who needs to be shuffled offstage one way or another. — Literary Hub, 18 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naughtily
  1. awfully
  2. dreadfully
  3. terribly
  4. horribly
  5. disastrously
  6. atrociously
  7. horrendously
  8. insufficiently
Adverb
  • For a few minutes at the end of the night, though, that fantasy became awfully convincing.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 23 Aug. 2026
  • That feels awfully low for Neto, who’d be in a much better position coming off his 2024 or 2025 seasons than this 2026.
    — Tim Britton, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of awfully
Adverb
  • Made from 100 percent cotton, this lightweight number is extremely soft and a great option for dreadfully hot days.
    — Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Part slasher parody, part meta commentary on the structure of horror movies, and fully riotous, Behind the Mask is a dreadfully under-appreciated contribution to the subgenre that would have made for a terrific franchise.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 9 June 2026
Definition of dreadfully
Adverb
  • The five per cent is for if things go terribly wrong and Liverpool have no choice but to change.
    — Andy Jones, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Supporters of the bill say that type of restriction is terribly outdated.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of terribly
Adverb
  • Another young woman shares footage of her experience getting lip filler that ended up going horribly wrong.
    — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The Social Democrats, led by Kurt Schumacher, a prickly figure who had suffered horribly for resisting the Nazis, were mistrustful of the United States and hoped to reunify Germany as a neutral state at the center of Europe.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of horribly
Adverb
  • However, enforcement – both statewide and nationally – is disastrously underresourced.
    — David Michaels, The Conversation, 18 June 2026
  • His high point will be long forgotten, disastrously undone by his successor to plunge the world into recession, if not depression.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
Definition of disastrously
Adverb
  • That pattern stayed broadly consistent last season, when Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur’s goalkeepers performed badly, but not atrociously.
    — Michael Cox, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of atrociously
Adverb
  • The less said about Bryan’s horrendously gauche fuchsia-and-gold dress with puffy armholes and halter neck the better.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 July 2026
  • Too little regulation could allow the unleashing of devilish AI that might wipe us out or at least be horrendously destructive.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of horrendously
Adverb
  • The order also authorizes the Justice Department to challenge state vaccine regulations deemed insufficiently respectful of parental objections.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Similar ads released in recent months accuse Moulton of being insufficiently progressive compared to Markey, a co-author of the Green New Deal, who’s seeking a third term in the Senate.
    — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of insufficiently

Browse Nearby Words

naught
naughtily
naughtiness
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Cite this Entry

“Naughtily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naughtily. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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