as in mischievous
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior
told her to act her age and stop throwing temper tantrums like a naughty little girl
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of naughty
This isn't the first time a dog has been caught out doing something naughty, such as the large dog who was caught on camera indulging in some unattended cake at a coffee shop.
—
Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Feb. 2025
His subsequent performance was jubilant and a bit naughty.
—Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2025
The effect, as customer Dave Harwood of Orlando noted on his way out the door, was not particularly naughty.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 2025
So Robert here, sitting in broad daylight smack bang in downtown Portland with four fentanyl pills on open display beside him, is now being slightly legally naughtier than during decriminalization.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for naughty
Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Feb. 2025
His subsequent performance was jubilant and a bit naughty.
—Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2025
The effect, as customer Dave Harwood of Orlando noted on his way out the door, was not particularly naughty.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 2025
So Robert here, sitting in broad daylight smack bang in downtown Portland with four fentanyl pills on open display beside him, is now being slightly legally naughtier than during decriminalization.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for naughty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naughty
Adjective
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Next, Negan saw Annie… and Joshua (whose smile was as mischievous as we’d been told).—
Charlie Mason,
TVLine,
15 June 2025
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View More On the cover, a young Chenier holds a 25-pound accordion the length of his torso, a big, mischievous smile on his face.—
Reya Hart,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2025
Adjective
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Bane is a 41 percent career 3-point shooter who, in his five prior seasons, never shot worse than 38.1 percent from deep in a season.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
16 June 2025
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids are making the gap worse.—
Brandon Kochkodin,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Naughty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naughty. Accessed 23 Jun. 2025.
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