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

• misconduct
• wrongdoing

Examples of misbehavior in a Sentence

would not tolerate any misbehavior from her students

Recent Examples on the Web

The show, which originally aired in 1992 and ran for six seasons on the BBC, follows the misbehaviors of two middle aged women: Patsy Stone and Eddy Monsoon. —Andrew McGowan, Variety, 10 July 2025

The Grok account shared a statement on Tuesday afternoon about the bot’s extreme misbehavior. —Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2025

His uncontrollable emotions led to misbehavior at Liberty High School, and Charles was moved to the Department of Youth Services in a residential treatment program to correct his behavior. —Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 31 May 2025

See behavior as a signal, not a threat Instead of viewing misbehavior as disrespect, emotionally safe parents see it as communication — a request for support, not punishment. —Reem Raouda, CNBC, 25 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for misbehavior

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