misbehave

[ mis-bi-heyv ]
See synonyms for misbehave on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object),mis·be·haved, mis·be·hav·ing.
  1. to behave badly or improperly: The children misbehaved during our visit.

verb (used with object),mis·be·haved, mis·be·hav·ing.
  1. to conduct (oneself) without regard for good manners or accepted moral standards: Several of the guests misbehaved themselves.

Origin of misbehave

1
late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; see origin at mis-1, behave

Other words from misbehave

  • mis·be·hav·er, noun

Words Nearby misbehave

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use misbehave in a sentence

  • But my dear, you don't meant to say that all bachelor clergymen misbehave themselves.

    Barchester Towers | Anthony Trollope
  • But if servants misbehave themselves, or leave their places, not being regularly discharged, they ought to be amerced or punished.

  • If he does not misbehave and keeps out of a lawsuit, he rarely comes in contact with his rulers.

    A Wayfarer in China | Elizabeth Kendall

British Dictionary definitions for misbehave

misbehave

/ (ˌmɪsbɪˈheɪv) /


verb
  1. to behave (oneself) badly

Derived forms of misbehave

  • misbehaver, noun
  • misbehaviour (ˌmɪsbɪˈheɪvjə), noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012