misbehave

[mis-bi-heyv]

See more 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.

Origin of misbehave

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

Related formsmis·be·hav·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for misbehaving

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

Examples from the Web for misbehaving

Contemporary Examples of misbehaving

I hope you had as much fun as I did - who knew Harry behaving could be as much fun as Harry misbehaving?
Prince Harry's U.S. Tour: Rolling Updates and all the News and Pictures as It Happens
Tom Sykes
May 15, 2013
Those tabloid images of Stewart misbehaving were taken without her knowledge, which implies a Garden of Eden type of innocence.
Kristen Stewart, Katie Holmes, and the Summer of Break-Up Porn
Tracy Quan
August 13, 2012
We were just sort of misbehaving; they were the tissue between vertebrae—where the rubber meets the road.
Fight Club Turns 10
Paul Cullum
November 12, 2009
Teachers have had their lives ruined by grabbing hold of a misbehaving child.
So Many Laws, So Little Time
Philip K. Howard
February 17, 2009

Historical Examples of misbehaving

Having that in my favour I do not think that I was misbehaving to you in proposing to her.
Sir Harry Hotspur of Humblethwaite
Anthony Trollope
That youngster of mine has not been misbehaving herself, I hope?
Sisters Three
Mrs. George de Horne Vaizey
He knew, as well as did Mr. Waddle or Polly, that he was misbehaving himself.
Ralph the Heir
Anthony Trollope
Oh, it's the philosophers who have been misbehaving themselves?
The Works of Lucian of Samosata, v. 4
Lucian of Samosata
They do so, they will tell you, to prevent pussy from misbehaving in the house.
Cats
W. Gordon Stables

British Dictionary definitions for misbehaving

misbehave

verb

to behave (oneself) badly

Derived Formsmisbehaver, 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

Word Origin and History for misbehaving

misbehave

"conduct oneself improperly," late 15c.; see mis- (1) + behave. Related: Misbehaved; misbehaving.