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 His tics are not naughty mischief, but an uncontrollable action. — Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026 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 The play was naughty stuff in 1925, when the show, starring Tallulah Bankhead, got banned. — Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 15 May 2026 The jokes — good, bad and cheap — come non-stop in then show’s 90 minutes, and are filled and sometimes pummeled with pop culture and brand-name references, puns, anachronistic humor, and naughty bits. — Frank Rizzo, Variety, 13 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for naughty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naughty
  1. mischievous
  2. bad
Adjective
  • The bride and groom both wore custom Christian Dior looks designed by Jonathan Anderson, who’s known for elaborate, mischievous designs.
    — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
  • Months after Scary Movie's release, Abrahams starred as the mischievous Denny Byrnes in Meet the Parents (2000).
    — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 27 June 2026
Definition of mischievous
Adjective
  • That if you were deemed, as an enslaved person, if you were deemed troublesome or in some way unwanted, you would literally be sold down the river from the more northern states to the deeper south where you would potentially be treated even worse.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Offer Real Value, Not Leftovers Most product bundles fail not because the idea is bad but because the execution misses what consumers actually want.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 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 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on naughty

Nglish: Translation of naughty for Spanish Speakers

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