Definition

1. Noun:
   • The quality or state of being naughty; mischievous or disobedient behavior, especially in children: "Naughtiness" refers to the characteristic of behaving in a playful, mildly bad, or disobedient way, typically without serious malice. It is often associated with children's minor misbehavior.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The child's constant naughtiness tested the teacher's patience.
  • A little bit of naughtiness is part of growing up.
  • She scolded him for his naughtiness but couldn't hide a smile.

Advanced Usage

• "A streak of naughtiness": A tendency or inclination to behave in a mischievous way.

  • Beneath his polite exterior, he has a definite streak of naughtiness.

• "Sheer naughtiness": Used to emphasize behavior that is purely mischievous or disobedient.

  • He ate the last cookie out of sheer naughtiness.

Variants and Related Words

• Naughty (adj): (Of a person, especially a child) behaving in a disobedient or mildly bad way.

  • The teacher told the parents their son had been naughty in class.

• Mischief (n): Playful misbehavior or troublemaking, especially in children.

  • The children got into a lot of mischief while their parents were out.

Synonyms

• Mischievousness: The quality of being fond of mischief.
• Disobedience: Failure or refusal to obey rules or someone in authority.
• Misbehavior: The action of misbehaving; bad behavior.

Antonyms

• Obedience: Compliance with an order, request, or law.
• Goodness: The quality of being good, virtuous, or well-behaved.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Full of naughtiness": Describing someone, typically a child, who is very mischievous.

  • That toddler is full of energy and full of naughtiness.

• "Get up to naughtiness": To engage in mischievous or mildly bad activities.

  • I wonder what those children are getting up to—I hope it's not naughtiness.

Noun

1. an attribute of mischievous children