What does naughty mean?
Naughty is an adjective most commonly used to describe a child or animal that has behaved badly, disobeyed instructions, or broken a rule. It can also be used playfully to describe someone who is cheeky or mischievous rather than seriously misbehaving. In some contexts, especially advertising, entertainment, and informal conversation, it means mildly suggestive or risque without being seriously improper. The word has an interesting history: it developed from an earlier sense connected with being poor or having nothing, and its modern association with misbehavior is a later semantic change. Although it can sound stern when used about a child, naughty often carries a humorous or affectionate tone as well.
adjective1. Behaving badly, especially by disobeying adults or breaking rules. 2. Playfully mischievous or cheeky. 3. Mildly suggestive or risque in a playful, humorous way.
- Behaving badly, especially by disobeying rules or authority.
- Playfully mischievous, cheeky, or impish.
- Mildly suggestive or risque in a humorous or playful way.
"The children were naughty and refused to clean up their toys."
"The naughty puppy stole the newspaper from the porch."
"She gave him a naughty wink and slipped out of the room."
Naughty originally meant poor or having nothing; over time, its sense shifted from social hardship to bad behavior.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does naughty come from?
Naughty developed in Middle English from naught, meaning nothing, with the suffix -y. Its earliest sense was associated with being poor or having nothing, and it later came to mean base, bad, or badly behaved. The modern word is related to naught and nought, both meaning nothing, and the negative sense reflects a historical change in how hardship and wrongdoing were characterized.
Related word forms
How naughty is actually used
The word is common in informal and semi-formal English, especially when addressing or describing children. Its playful or suggestive uses are usually lighthearted and depend on context.
Easily confused with naughty
Naughty is an adjective describing bad or mischievous behavior, while naught is chiefly a noun meaning nothing or an archaic form of nought.