Synonyms

misbehave

American

[mis-bi-heyv] / ˌmɪs bɪˈheɪv /

verb (used without object)

misbehaved, misbehaving

to behave badly or improperly.

The children misbehaved during our visit.

verb (used with object)

misbehaved, misbehaving

to conduct (oneself ) without regard for good manners or accepted moral standards.

Several of the guests misbehaved themselves.

misbehave British

/ ˌmɪsbɪˈheɪvjə, ˌmɪsbɪˈheɪv /

verb

to behave (oneself) badly

"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

Other Word Forms

misbehaver noun
misbehaviour noun

Etymology

Origin of misbehave

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Fairlie had vowed last year to table secondary legislation that would allow Transport Scotland to suspend or withdraw free passes from misbehaving passengers.

From BBC

"It can come across as acting out or misbehaving, but it isn't acting out or misbehaving. It's just literally not feeling safe in their own body."

From BBC

While he said he understood Wetherspoon wanting to crack down on dogs who are misbehaving in its pubs, he added: "Why tarnish all assistance dog users with that brush?"

From BBC

Will she kick me out and leave me in the street if I misbehave?

From Literature

My dad says when I was a child, he took me to the country club one Sunday after church and I began misbehaving—knocking stuff over, throwing rolls and being naughty.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023