misbehavior

noun

mis·​be·​hav·​ior ˌmis-bi-ˈhā-vyər 

-bē-

plural misbehaviors

1

: bad, improper, or rude behavior : ill conduct

scolded the children for their misbehavior

2

US military law : any conduct by a member of the armed forces before or in the presence of the enemy that does not conform to military standards or practice for such a situation

… is charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, the latter of which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

—The Boston Herald

Synonyms

• malfeasance
• misconduct
• misdoing
• wrongdoing

Examples of misbehavior in a Sentence

would not tolerate any misbehavior from her students

Recent Examples on the Web

Chiefs begin three-peat quest The Chiefs’ second straight Super Bowl title was followed by an offseason of tragedy, off-field misbehavior and turmoil. —Mark Maske, Washington Post, 22 July 2024

The Impact of Silver Crowns on Kids Despite claims that the heavy metals in stainless steel caps cause misbehavior in kids, there is absolutely nothing to suggest that having silver teeth means a child is destined for a life of bad behavior. —Erica Jackson Curran, Parents, 7 Aug. 2024

Judges have also nixed settlements when plaintiffs are not adequately compensated for their harms or when the settlement wouldn’t obligate the defendant to sufficiently correct their underlying misbehavior. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 July 2024

Read more: Teen girls are facing a mental health epidemic Many of the survivors in Teen Torture Inc. say their misbehavior as young people was actually a cry for help. —Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 11 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1