Meanings
plural naughty lists
- According to Christmas folklore, a list kept by Santa Claus of children who have been naughty, and who will therefore not be given as many presents; kept in conjunction with the antithetical nice list.
Antonyms: nice list
- broadlyAny hypothetical list of naughty people.
You don't want to get on the FBI's naughty list.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAccording to Christmas folklore, a list kept by Santa Claus of children who have been naughty, and who will therefore not be given as many presents; kept in conjunction with the antithetical nice list.
Origin
Certainly connected with, and possibly derived from, the lyrics of a Christmas carol, "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town": He's makin a list / and checkin it twice / He's gonna find out / who's naughty or nice
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
naughty list. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/naughty%20list
“naughty list.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/naughty%20list. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “naughty list,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/naughty%20list.
Source: naughty list on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.