naughty

naughty — adjective

1. A child who is naughty does things they have been told not to do, or refuses to

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

A child who is naughty does things they have been told not to do, or refuses to follow rules set by parents or teachers.

Example

The teacher told Niran that his naughty behaviour in class was not acceptable.

attributive use: naughty + behaviour

Bao's mother sent her to her room for being naughty and refusing to tidy up.

predicative use: be + naughty + reason

Common collocations
  • naughty child
  • naughty boy
  • naughty girl
  • naughty behaviour
  • naughty dog
  • naughty puppy
  • being naughty
  • naughty step
  • naughty corner
Synonyms
  • disobedient

    more formal; focuses on refusing to follow orders

  • mischievous

    more playful; suggests harmless tricks rather than deliberate defiance

  • badly behaved

    slightly more general; can describe any kind of poor conduct

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be + naughty

naughty + noun

Usage Note

Most common with children and pets. Can be used both attributively (a naughty child) and predicatively (the child was naughty).

Common Mistakes

My son was very naughty yesterday' (when meaning simply active or noisy).
My son was very naughty yesterday
he refused to eat dinner and threw his cup on the floor.' — 'naughty' implies deliberate disobedience, not just high energy.

2. Used humorously about an adult who does something minor that breaks a social rul

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

Used humorously about an adult who does something minor that breaks a social rule or expectation, often in a playful or self-aware way — for example, eating dessert first or telling a cheeky joke at a formal dinner.

Example

Gabriela felt a little naughty for eating dessert before her main course arrived.

feel + naughty + for + gerund

Tomás gave his wife a naughty grin after telling a joke at the ceremony.

attributive: naughty + grin

Common collocations
  • naughty grin
  • naughty smile
  • naughty thought
  • a little naughty
  • feeling naughty
  • naughty but nice
Synonyms
  • mischievous

    similar playful tone; can apply to adults too

  • cheeky

    more informal; implies boldness or mild impertinence

  • playful

    less judgemental; focuses on fun rather than rule-breaking

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

feel + naughty

a little + naughty

naughty + noun

Usage Note

This sense is always light-hearted and not truly critical. It is common in British English and self-deprecating humour. Unlike sense 1, it is never used about children.

Common Mistakes

The employee was naughty and got fired.
The employee was naughty and took an extra-long lunch break.
'naughty' in this sense implies a minor, playful rule-breaking, not something serious enough to get someone fired.

3. Describing something that is mildly improper because it involves or hints at sex

3.adjectiveC1
Definition

Describing something that is mildly improper because it involves or hints at sexual content, usually in a joking or teasing way — for example, a joke with a double meaning or a romantic novel with a few steamy scenes.

Example

The comedian told naughty jokes that made some people blush and others laugh.

collocation: naughty + jokes

Hui bought a naughty Valentine's card with two chillies touching on the front.

Common collocations
  • naughty joke
  • naughty story
  • naughty film
  • naughty book
  • naughty bits
  • naughty thoughts
  • a bit naughty
Synonyms
  • risqué

    borrowed from French; implies slightly daring or near the edge of propriety

  • saucy

    more playful and old-fashioned; common in British English

  • racy

    suggests more energy and boldness; often used about films or books

Antonyms
  • proper

    socially acceptable, not offending standards

  • innocent

    free from any sexual suggestion

Grammar Patterns

naughty + noun

a bit + naughty

Usage Note

Light-hearted and teasing in tone. Not used for serious or explicit sexual content — in those contexts, words like explicit, pornographic, or adult are more appropriate. Avoid in formal or professional settings.

Common Mistakes

The movie was naughty and banned in several countries.
The movie had a few naughty jokes but was still rated PG-13.
'naughty' suggests mild, playful sexual content, not extreme or banned material.

Word family

  • naughtily
    adverbC1
  • naughtiness
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Naughty is the most common everyday word for a child who refuses to follow rules. Disobedient is more formal and serious — a disobedient child deliberately refuses to obey an instruction, while a naughty child might be acting out of playfulness or lack of self-control. Mischievous suggests harmless, clever tricks rather than defiance: a mischievous child hides shoes for fun, whereas a naughty child might hide shoes after being told to put them away. Badly behaved is the most general and neutral of the four; it can describe any kind of poor conduct without specifying the reason. For a learner, use naughty in casual conversation with parents or teachers, disobedient in more formal writing, mischievous when the action is clever and light-hearted, and badly behaved when you want a factual statement without judgement.

naughty ↗disobedientmischievousbadly behaved

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • a bit naughty
  • slightly naughty
  • very naughty
  • really naughty
  • rather naughty

Phrases

  • naughty but nice
  • a little bit naughty
  • being naughty

Etymology

Middle EnglishOld EnglishGermanic

Naughty comes from the Middle English word naughti, which originally meant 'poor, needy' — literally 'having naught (nothing)'. By the 1500s it had shifted to mean 'wicked, evil,' a much stronger meaning than today. Over the next few centuries the word softened: it went from 'evil' to 'badly behaved' (used especially of children), and later gained the playful and mildly sexual meanings that are common in modern English.