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

• disobey
• misconduct
• rebel
• raise hell

Examples of misbehave in a Sentence

scolded the children for misbehaving and sent them to bed early

Recent Examples on the Web

This discovery allowed two other researchers to find ways to correct the misbehaving protein that culminated in a drug combination that has turned cystic fibrosis into a manageable condition. —Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025

This can lead to stress, perfectionist tendencies, and feeling not good enough when the other sibs inevitably misbehave. —Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 3 Oct. 2025

Disorders like tremors can be traced to specific misbehaving circuits in the brain, Munyon said while explaining the procedure. —Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2025

The actual cause is still under investigation, but one plausible theory contends that misbehaving teen-agers may in fact have been involved. —Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 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