naughty

adjective

ˈnȯ-tē How to pronounce naughty (audio)
Definition of naughtynext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of naughty But theatergoers around me couldn’t seem to get enough, no matter how repetitive the naughty humor became. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026 His tics are not naughty mischief, but an uncontrollable action. — Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026 Paltrow has been savvy at selling herself as naughty and nice. — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 17 Apr. 2026 The home needed to display her naughty sense of humor too. — Julie Vadnal, Architectural Digest, 18 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for naughty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naughty
  1. mischievous
  2. bad
Adjective
  • The former child star played mischievous middle child Randy Taylor on the Tim Allen sitcom.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 30 July 2026
  • Catching mischievous agents in real time The Hugging Face incident reveals the importance of real-time monitoring.
    — Harry Booth, Time, 24 July 2026
Definition of mischievous
Adjective
  • The period of military rule has fared worse than previous civilian governments, analysts say, with armed groups increasing their footprint across the country and the Sahel.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
  • At one point, King and backup center Nick Samac had a bad exchange on a shotgun snap.
    — Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026
Definition of bad

Browse Nearby Words

naughts
naughty
nausea
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Cite this Entry

“Naughty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naughty. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on naughty

Nglish: Translation of naughty for Spanish Speakers

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