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

Last year, Kyoto's famous geisha district started fining misbehaving tourists and the small town of Fujikawaguchiko – which offers a stunning view of the mountain – put up a screen to stop people from overcrowding when trying to snap the perfect photo. —Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025

Cosseted from sunup to sundown by a smiling staff, they’re freed from the horse’s harness of daily routine, only to misbehave (drugs, alcohol, guns and worse) and then suffer for it. —Tom Gliatto, People.com, 15 Feb. 2025

Don’t lower your standards or expectations because others misbehave. —Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024

Additionally, Spratt said that probably about 75% of the kids found misbehaving won’t stop for the police. —Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for misbehave

• aftershave
• architrave
• autoclave
• microwave
• agave
• behave
• concave
• conclave
• enclave
• engrave
• enslave
• forgave

Kids Definition

misbehave

verb

mis·​be·​have

ˌmis-bi-ˈhāv

: to behave in a wrong or improper manner

misbehavior

-ˈhā-vyər

noun