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naugh·ty

naughty

 
 
pronunciation:
naw ti
features:
Word Combinations (adjective), Word History
part of speech: adjective
inflections: naughtier, naughtiest
definition 1: misbehaving or mischievous.
The naughty child hid his little brother's favorite toy.Hitting the dog was a naughty thing to do.
synonyms:
bad, disobedient, misbehaving, mischievous, roguish, wicked
antonyms:
well-behaved
similar words:
devilish, exasperating, fractious, impish, puckish, recalcitrant, unmanageable, vexatious, wayward
definition 2: improper, or mildly obscene or vulgar.
The joke was a bit naughty, but it did seem to amuse everyone.
synonyms:
improper, indecent, off-color, risqué, vulgar
antonyms:
decent
similar words:
bawdy, obscene, racy, spicy, tasteless, wicked
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
derivations: naughtily (adv.), naughtiness (n.)
Word History
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."