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

The bedrock of Canada’s collective tranquility is the knowledge that misbehavior will not be tolerated, and, as in hockey, violations of the code of conduct will be met with hair-trigger aggression. —Chris Jones, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025

Unlike Proctor, who continues to be pampered and coddled by the brass for his atrocious misbehavior, Cournoyer was run out of the State Police. —Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 12 Mar. 2025

Will Smith, who starred in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which Jones executive produced, would have been a natural for the Jones tribute, but he was banned from all Academy Award events for 10 years in 2023 following his misbehavior on that year’s telecast. —Paul Grein, Billboard, 26 Feb. 2025

The history of disappointment and disillusionment behind such misbehavior cannot be disguised by the phony bonhomie of DIE solidarity. —Armond White, National Review, 7 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for misbehavior

• misbehaviour
• behavior
• behaviour
• havior
• savior
• saviour