Meaning & use

naughty

adjective·Everyday

Behaving badly or disobediently, especially said of a child; or, informally, mildly indecent.

See it in a sentence

The naughty puppy chewed through another pair of shoes while we were out.

The comedian's naughty jokes made the older relatives blush at dinner.

A note on using this word

Naughty is mild and often affectionate when describing children or pets, but shifts toward a coy sense of 'slightly indecent' elsewhere.

Words with a similar meaning

mischievousmisbehaving

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

obedientwell-behaved

Make it your own

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