misbehave

[ mis-bi-heyv ]

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.

misbehave

/ ˌmɪsbɪˈheɪvjə; ˌmɪsbɪˈheɪv /

verb

1. to behave (oneself) badly

Derived Forms

• misbehaviour, noun
• ˌmisbeˈhaver, noun

Other Words From

• misbe·haver noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of misbehave¹

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

Example Sentences

“A Man on the Inside” is not a slapstick snort-fest in the mold of so many movies headlined by elderly stars misbehaving, thank goodness.

From Salon

“And on a day like today, even when the car has misbehaved for the majority of the season, everyone tried to put the A game, and it was just an historical day for the team.”

From BBC

It does its best to misbehave, transgressing between the real and the imaginary, between emotions dangerously raw and overcooked, breaking boundaries between what we call classical music and what we don’t.

From Los Angeles Times

The promise that misbehaving children would “end up in Barlinnie” has been a quintessential parenting tool for generations.

From BBC

While the Mark Taper Forum, Pasadena Playhouse and the Geffen Playhouse fretted about the taste of their least adventurous subscribers, Rogue Machine reminded us that theater is most alive when misbehaving.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• act up
• fool around
• trespass