misbehave

verb

mis·​be·​have ˌmis-bi-ˈhāv 

-bē-

misbehaved; misbehaving

1

a

transitive : to conduct (oneself) badly or improperly

students who frequently misbehave themselves in class

b

intransitive : to behave with poor manners or a lack of courtesy

He worried about the decline of family discipline, about the fact that local youth went out walking after dark, wasted time in levity, misbehaved in church.

—Tracy Kidder

c

intransitive : to behave with disregard for accepted moral standards especially in sexual matters

known for misbehaving with numerous women

d

intransitive of a member of the armed forces : to behave before or in the presence of the enemy in a way that does not conform to military standards or practice

… has been charged with desertion and misbehaving before the enemy …

—Dan Lamothe

2

intransitive : to behave in an unexpected or unwelcome way

After five floods in four years, people in Liberty County are used to seeing the Trinity River misbehave.

—Adam Nossiter

misbehaver noun

plural misbehavers

misbehavers in the classroom

Synonyms

• act out
• act up
• carry on

Examples of misbehave in a Sentence

scolded the children for misbehaving and sent them to bed early

Recent Examples on the Web

Seymour the Naughty Goat: Heat will make anyone misbehave To cater to the dietary needs that keep animals hydrated and cool, the zoo has an $80,000-per-month nutrition services operation that works hard to pivot to the nuanced needs of animals existing in extreme heat. —Joan Meiners, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2024

Videos of misbehaving tourists often go viral, angering residents and sparking harsh responses from social media users in Indonesia. —CNN, 10 Sep. 2024

Recommended reading: In our new special issue, a Wall Street legend gets a radical makeover, a tale of crypto iniquity, misbehaving poultry royalty, and more. Read the stories. —Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 9 Sep. 2024

In our new special issue, a Wall Street legend gets a radical makeover, a tale of crypto iniquity, misbehaving poultry royalty, and more. —Margaret Franklin, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

misbehave

verb

mis·​be·​have

ˌmis-bi-ˈhāv

: to behave in a wrong or improper manner

misbehavior

-ˈhā-vyər

noun