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
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
Dan Lamothe2
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
Adam Nossiter
misbehaver
noun
plural misbehavers
misbehavers in the classroom
Examples of misbehave in a Sentence
scolded the children for misbehaving and sent them to bed early
Recent Examples on the Web
Two parents from Ohio have gone viral on TikTok after sharing their exemplary handling of a tricky disciplinary call while managing not to laugh at their misbehaving child.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 9 Feb. 2025
Like a misbehaving child, fire has been sent to its room.
—Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2025
The owner of a mini dachshund named Jax shared a series of clips of her pup misbehaving in every possible way, and internet users can't cope with it.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Research has consistently shown that Black students do not misbehave more than their peers.
—Monique L. Dixon, Baltimore Sun, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misbehave
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 9 Feb. 2025
Like a misbehaving child, fire has been sent to its room.
—Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2025
The owner of a mini dachshund named Jax shared a series of clips of her pup misbehaving in every possible way, and internet users can't cope with it.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Research has consistently shown that Black students do not misbehave more than their peers.
—Monique L. Dixon, Baltimore Sun, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misbehave
Cite this Entry
“Misbehave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misbehave. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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