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 of misbehavior

• misconduct
• wrongdoing

Examples of misbehavior in a Sentence

would not tolerate any misbehavior from her students

Recent Examples on the Web

Now, think of that with gasoline — enough material for a master’s thesis in human misbehavior. —Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026

One 16-year-old with no prior record was sentenced to 6-8 months at a youth ranch, while another with a history of misbehavior was given 2- to 4 years in a more secure facility. —Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2026

The March 3 incident on Highway 101 in Redwood City illustrated a form of driver misbehavior that’s become more and more common, as screens become normalized in cars. —Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2026

In fact, this misbehavior was further highlighted by an Athletic article a few days ago listing most, but not all, of the offenses. —Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for misbehavior

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