naughty

adjective

naugh·​ty ˈnȯ-tē How to pronounce naughty (audio) ˈnä- How to pronounce naughty (audio)
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 adverb
naughtiness noun

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
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.
Believe it or not, between sipping delicious eggnog and hot cocoa and enjoying the joy of Yuletide with family and friends, there are still naughty killjoys afoot during Christmastime — the worst of which appear in some of the best holiday films. Mike Miller, People.com, 19 Dec. 2024 Here’s a look at the box without the lighting effects: The sarcophagus marks the latest viral popcorn collectible that theater chains have created to help boost revenue, with the infamous Dune popcorn bucket being the most famous and the Deadpool & Wolverine bucket being the most naughty. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Nov. 2024 There’s nice Torrey Pines and naughty Torrey Pines. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Jan. 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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English noughti, from nought

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of naughty was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Naughty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/naughty. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

naughty

adjective
naugh·​ty ˈnȯt-ē How to pronounce naughty (audio)
ˈnät-
naughtier; naughtiest
: behaving badly or improperly
naughtily adverb
naughtiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on naughty

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