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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Recent Examples of naughty
Kaye Schloemer’s rum balls were a big hit at holiday parties and potlucks—sweet, bite-sized, and just a little bit naughty!
—
Josh Miller, Southern Living, 22 Dec. 2025
Our editors have scoured the market for the 10 best faux fur coats that won’t get you on PETA’s naughty list this Christmas.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 22 Dec. 2025
They are forbidden to have naughty thoughts, leading to some unfortunate outcomes for several elves.
—Andy Hoglund, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Dec. 2025
Christmas in America has long been about receiving presents from Santa for being nice, or at worst, getting a lump of coal for being naughty.
—Carlie Procell, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for naughty
Josh Miller, Southern Living, 22 Dec. 2025
Our editors have scoured the market for the 10 best faux fur coats that won’t get you on PETA’s naughty list this Christmas.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 22 Dec. 2025
They are forbidden to have naughty thoughts, leading to some unfortunate outcomes for several elves.
—Andy Hoglund, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Dec. 2025
Christmas in America has long been about receiving presents from Santa for being nice, or at worst, getting a lump of coal for being naughty.
—Carlie Procell, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for naughty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naughty
Adjective
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Also, according to ancient Norse lore, evil and turmoil were brought to the world by the mischievous god Loki, the 13th guest at a dinner party in Valhalla.—
Bailey Allen,
Cape Cod Times,
13 Feb. 2026
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Sabate donned his yellow-and-blue costume and brought the mischievous spirit of the Minions to Milan in the men's short program Tuesday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Investigators are buried in leads The influx of tips generated in the case – further fueled by the release this week of footage captured by Guthrie’s doorbell camera – is both good and bad for law enforcement.—
Elizabeth Hartfield,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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But the lack of bigger tax cuts does not inherently make the grocery tax repeal bad.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Naughty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naughty. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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