NAUGHTY


Meaning of NAUGHTY in English

ˈnȯ]d.]ē, ]t], ]i also ˈnä] adjective

( -er/-est )

Etymology: naught (II) + -y

1.

a. archaic : of inferior quality : poor

very naughty figs, which could not be eaten — Jer 24:2 (Authorized Version)

b. chiefly Scotland : insignificant , good-for-nothing

2.

a. archaic : vicious in moral character : wicked

naughty persons … have practiced dangerously against your state — Shakespeare

b. : guilty of disobedience or misbehavior

treated like a grown-up gangster, whereas he ought to be treated as a naughty boy — Times Literary Supplement

3. : violating accepted standards of morality, good taste, or polite behavior

books … with naughty illustrations — Thomas Wolfe

will be naughty for the young generation to question anything — Sinclair Lewis

Synonyms: see bad

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.