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be naughty

[/bi ˈnɔːti/]
verb phrase
ser travesso; ser desobediente
1. to behave badly or disobediently, especially of children
The child was being naughty during class.
A criança estava sendo travessa durante a aula.
2. to misbehave or act improperly
He's been naughty and broke the vase.
Ele foi desobediente e quebrou o vaso.
3. to behave in a playfully improper or cheeky manner
She gave him a naughty smile.
Ela lhe deu um sorriso malicioso.
NYC Slang
acting up; being bad; being a bad kid
Synonyms
be mischievousbe disobedientmisbehaveact up
Antonyms
be goodbe obedientbehavebe well-behaved

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
ser travesso; ser desobediente
most common usage
Rio de Janeiro
ser levado; ser sapeca
colloquial variant
São Paulo
ser travesso; ser mal-criado
common usage
Portugal
ser desobediente; ser mal-comportado
slightly more formal than Brazilian Portuguese

Related Idioms & Phrases

be a brat
be a little devil
get into mischief
play up
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