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- 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
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| 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
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| related words: |
disobedient, saucy |
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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."
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