- pronunciation:
- naw
ti
- features:
- Word Combinations (adjective), Word History
| part of speech: |
adjective |
| inflections: |
naughtier, naughtiest |
| definition 1: |
not behaving or obeying.
The naughty girl hit her sister.- synonyms:
- bad, misbehaving
|
| definition 2: |
bad or not proper.
Martha told a naughty joke that offended me. |
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| derivations: |
naughtily (adv.), naughtiness (n.) |
Naughty comes from an early English word that meant "having naught (nothing)," "needy," or "evil." By 1600, "naughty" was no longer a strong enough word to describe an evil person. Around this time, the word was being used for behavior that was disobedient, or for things of poor quality, such as "naughty apples."