naughty

Etymology

From Middle English noughti, naughty (“evil, immoral, wicked; bungling, ineffectual; in want, needy; evil or hostile person”) [and other forms], from nought (“evil, immoral; of poor quality, worthless; unworthy; inappropriate, unsuitable; impotent, powerless, weak; useless; of an agreement, decree, or obligation: null, void; trivial; diseased”) + -ī̆ (suffix forming adjectives). Nought is derived from Old English nōwiht, nāwiht (“nothing”), from Proto-West Germanic *naiwwiht (“nothing”). The English word is analysable as naught + -y.

adj

1. Mischievous; tending to misbehave or act badly (especially of a child).
   Some naughty boys at school hid the teacher's lesson notes.
2. Sexually provocative; now in weakened sense, risqué, cheeky.
   I bought some naughty lingerie for my honeymoon.
   If I see you send another naughty email to your friends, you will be forbidden from using the computer!
3. (now rare, archaic) Evil, wicked, morally reprehensible.
   my proneſſe to ſinne, and naughty appetites and desires, woulde drawe me headlong to the pitte of hell 1589, John Bucke, Instructions for the Use of the Beades
4. (obsolete) Bad, worthless, substandard.
   In Cornwall is two speches, the one is naughty Englysshe, and the other is Cornysshe speche. 1542, Andrew Boorde, The First Boke of the Introduction of Knowledge

verb

1. To perform sexual acts upon.