naughty

[ naw-tee ]
See synonyms for: naughtynaughtilynaughtiness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,naugh·ti·er, naugh·ti·est.
  1. disobedient; mischievous (used especially in speaking to or about children): Weren't we naughty not to eat our spinach?

  2. improper, tasteless, indecorous, or indecent: a naughty word.

  1. Obsolete. wicked; evil.

Origin of naughty

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; naught + -y1

Other words for naughty

Other words from naughty

  • naugh·ti·ly, adverb
  • naugh·ti·ness, noun

Words Nearby naughty

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use naughty in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for naughty

naughty

/ (ˈnɔːtɪ) /


adjective-tier or -tiest
  1. (esp of children or their behaviour) mischievous or disobedient; bad

  2. mildly indecent; titillating

nounplural -ties
  1. Australian and NZ slang an act of sexual intercourse

Origin of naughty

1
C14 (originally: needy, of poor quality): from naught

Derived forms of naughty

  • naughtily, adverb
  • naughtiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012