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
Americans must hold the president to a higher standard and stop excusing him like a misbehaving child from a broken home.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
Every President, sooner or later, misbehaves.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
Be wary of misbehaving devices — in-person chats are more reliable than texts or emails.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
Noem, of course, admitted in her memoir to shooting and killing a puppy of hers for misbehaving.
—William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misbehave
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
Every President, sooner or later, misbehaves.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
Be wary of misbehaving devices — in-person chats are more reliable than texts or emails.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
Noem, of course, admitted in her memoir to shooting and killing a puppy of hers for misbehaving.
—William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misbehave
Cite this Entry
“Misbehave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misbehave. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
