naughty

naughty — 形容詞

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

1.形容詞B1
釋義

不乖；調皮

形容小孩或寵物不守規矩

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

例句

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

老師告訴 Niran，他在課堂上不聽話的行為是不行的。

attributive use: naughty + behaviour

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

Bao 的媽媽因為她不聽話、不肯收拾東西，叫她回房間去。

predicative use: be + naughty + reason

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞

文法句型

be + naughty

naughty + noun

用法筆記

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

常見錯誤

❌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.形容詞B2
釋義

頑皮的

形容成人玩鬧性質的小違規

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.

例句

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

Gabriela 在主菜還沒上桌之前就先吃了甜點，覺得自己有點頑皮。

feel + naughty + for + gerund

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

Tomás 在典禮中對妻子低聲說了個俏皮笑話，然後露出頑皮的笑容。

attributive: naughty + grin

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞

文法句型

feel + naughty

a little + naughty

naughty + noun

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

❌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.形容詞C1
釋義

煽情；曖昧

帶有輕微性暗示或情色意味

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.

例句

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

那位喜劇演員說了幾個煽情的笑話，讓有些人臉紅、有些人哈哈大笑。

collocation: naughty + jokes

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

Hui 買了一張煽情的情人節卡片，上面畫著兩根辣椒靠在一起。

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞
  • proper

    socially acceptable, not offending standards

  • innocent

    free from any sexual suggestion

文法句型

naughty + noun

a bit + naughty

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

❌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.