naughty
adj.-
1 misbehaving child (adj.) B1 Intermediatebehaving badly or not following rules; you use this mostly for children.
mischievous or disobedient; typically applied to children or pets for minor infractions.
ExampleThe naughty boy hid his sister's shoes before they had to leave for school.
ExampleThe teacher had to speak with the parents after several naughty incidents involving the student disrupting the afternoon lessons.
- disobedient
- mischievous
- bad
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2 risqué or cheeky (adj.) B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Humorousslightly shocking or related to sex in a playful, joking way.
suggestive or sexually provocative in a playful, non-serious manner.
ExampleHe told a naughty joke that made everyone at the dinner table blush.
ExampleThe comedian's routine was full of naughty double entendres that delighted the late-night audience but would have been inappropriate for a daytime broadcast.
- risqué
- suggestive
- cheeky
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3 unhealthy treat (adj.) B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Humorous Cookingdescribing food that is delicious but very unhealthy or fattening.
indulgent or decadent, particularly regarding food that is perceived as a guilty pleasure.
ExampleI know I'm on a diet, but I'm going to have a naughty piece of chocolate cake.
ExampleThe dessert menu featured several naughty options, including a triple-chocolate fudge brownie served with extra whipped cream.
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4 wicked or evil (adj.) C2 Proficiency Archaic Literaryvery bad or evil.
morally reprehensible or wicked; the original sense of the word before it weakened to describe children.
ExampleThe old stories speak of a naughty world where people forgot to be kind.
ExampleIn the famous Shakespearean line, a small candle is said to throw its beams far in a naughty world, highlighting the rarity of virtue.
From late Middle English noughti, naughty (“evil, immoral, wicked”), from nought (“evil, immoral”) + -ī̆ (suffix forming adjectives). Analysable as naught + -y.