misbehave

[ mis-bi-heyv ]
/ ˌmɪs bɪˈheɪv /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR misbehave ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), mis·be·haved, mis·be·hav·ing.

to behave badly or improperly: The children misbehaved during our visit.

verb (used with object), mis·be·haved, mis·be·hav·ing.

to conduct (oneself) without regard for good manners or accepted moral standards: Several of the guests misbehaved themselves.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
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Origin of misbehave

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

misapprehension, misappropriate, misarrange, misbecome, misbegotten, misbehave, misbehavior, misbelief, misbelieve, misbrand, misc.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to misbehave

trespass, sin, offend, fail, misconduct, roughhouse, deviate, transgress

Example sentences from the Web for misbehave

British Dictionary definitions for misbehave

misbehave
/ (ˌmɪsbɪˈheɪv) /

verb

to behave (oneself) badly

Derived forms of misbehave

misbehaver, nounmisbehaviour (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