misbehave
verb
mis·be·have
ˌmis-bi-ˈhāv 
-bē-
misbehaved; misbehaving
1
a
transitive
: to conduct (oneself) badly or improperly
students who frequently misbehave themselves in class
b
intransitive
: to behave with poor manners or a lack of courtesy
He worried about the decline of family discipline, about the fact that local youth went out walking after dark, wasted time in levity, misbehaved in church.—
Tracy Kidder
Tracy Kidder
c
intransitive
: to behave with disregard for accepted moral standards especially in sexual matters
known for misbehaving with numerous women
d
intransitive
of a member of the armed forces
: to behave before or in the presence of the enemy in a way that does not conform to military standards or practice
… has been charged with desertion and misbehaving before the enemy …—Dan Lamothe
Dan Lamothe2
intransitive
: to behave in an unexpected or unwelcome way
After five floods in four years, people in Liberty County are used to seeing the Trinity River misbehave.—Adam Nossiter
Adam Nossiter
misbehaver
noun
plural misbehavers
misbehavers in the classroom
Examples of misbehave in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Students who misbehave, like the group of boys who got into a fight at recess, are also sent to Belcastro’s office.
—Ariel Gilreath, USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
Authorities said that on the evening of the incident, the victim and his son went to bed early after the boy was allegedly misbehaving, the outlets reported.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024
Microsoft has fixed an issue where its Edge browser was again misbehaving, this time by automatically importing browsing data and tabs from Chrome without consent.
—Tom Warren, The Verge, 16 Feb. 2024
The introduction of increasingly sophisticated AI is amplifying fears that the technology will malfunction and misbehave on its own, or be manipulated by people for sinister purposes such as spreading misinformation in politics or to torment their enemies.
—Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2024
The decision to ban visitors from these blocks comes as the city has dealt with overcrowding and misbehaving tourists, the AP noted.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2024
Almost immediately, the allegations Paré had made in her video began to appear as search suggestions below videos from several unaffiliated models on the app, leading users to believe that they’d been identified as the misbehaving model.
—Taylor Lorenz, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2024
But Raj Jayadev, co-founder of the South Bay civil-rights nonprofit Silicon Valley De-Bug, said Mata’s move only reinforces their calls for truly independent police oversight, citing how the DA is tasked with criminal accountability for misbehaving officers and referencing McNamara specifically.
—Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2024
The theory is that children are hardwired to connect with others and that children who feel connected are less likely to misbehave.
—Kimanzi Constable, Parents, 1 Feb. 2024
Ariel Gilreath, USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
Authorities said that on the evening of the incident, the victim and his son went to bed early after the boy was allegedly misbehaving, the outlets reported.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024
Microsoft has fixed an issue where its Edge browser was again misbehaving, this time by automatically importing browsing data and tabs from Chrome without consent.
—Tom Warren, The Verge, 16 Feb. 2024
The introduction of increasingly sophisticated AI is amplifying fears that the technology will malfunction and misbehave on its own, or be manipulated by people for sinister purposes such as spreading misinformation in politics or to torment their enemies.
—Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2024
The decision to ban visitors from these blocks comes as the city has dealt with overcrowding and misbehaving tourists, the AP noted.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2024
Almost immediately, the allegations Paré had made in her video began to appear as search suggestions below videos from several unaffiliated models on the app, leading users to believe that they’d been identified as the misbehaving model.
—Taylor Lorenz, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2024
But Raj Jayadev, co-founder of the South Bay civil-rights nonprofit Silicon Valley De-Bug, said Mata’s move only reinforces their calls for truly independent police oversight, citing how the DA is tasked with criminal accountability for misbehaving officers and referencing McNamara specifically.
—Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2024
The theory is that children are hardwired to connect with others and that children who feel connected are less likely to misbehave.
—Kimanzi Constable, Parents, 1 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misbehave.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of misbehave was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near misbehave
Cite this Entry
“Misbehave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misbehave. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
misbehave
verb
mis·be·have
ˌmis-bi-ˈhāv
: to behave in a wrong or improper manner
misbehavior
noun
-ˈhā-vyər
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