misbehave

M3I1S1B3E1H4A1V4E1

verb

To act or behave in an inappropriate, improper, incorrect, or unexpected manner.

“He doesn't mean to misbehave; he just doesn't know better.”

Similar
go itcarry onerrmisconductmisdemean
Opposite
behave
OriginMiddle English misbehaven →
UncommonScrabble 19
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Meanings

verbmisbehave (third-person singular simple present misbehaves, present participle misbehaving, simple past and past participle misbehaved)

present singular third person misbehaves · participle present misbehaving · participle past misbehaved · past misbehaved

  1. intransitivereflexiveTo act or behave in an inappropriate, improper, incorrect, or unexpected manner.

    He doesn't mean to misbehave; he just doesn't know better.

    Synonyms: go it, carry on, err

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo act or behave in an inappropriate, improper, incorrect, or unexpected manner.

Similar
go itcarry onerr

More synonyms by meaning

verbbehave badly

Similar
misconductmisdemean
Opposite
behave
Broader
actmove
Also see
misconductmisdemeanmisoperaterantipole

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishmisbehaven
  2. Englishmisbehave

From Middle English misbehaven, equivalent to mis- + behave.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic أَسَاءَ التَّصَرُّف
  • أَسَاءَ التَّصَرُّف (ʔasāʔa t-taṣarruf)act in an inappropriate manner
Bulgarian държа се зле
  • държа се зле (dărža se zle)act in an inappropriate manner
Chinese Mandarin 行為失當 /行为失当
  • 行為失當 /行为失当 (xíngwéi shīdàng)act in an inappropriate manner
Esperanto miskonduti
  • miskondutiact in an inappropriate manner
Finnish käyttäytyä huonosti, käyttäytyä rumasti
  • käyttäytyä huonostiact in an inappropriate manner
  • käyttäytyä rumastiact in an inappropriate manner
  • riehuaact in an inappropriate manner
French mal se conduire
  • mal se conduireact in an inappropriate manner
German Fehlverhalten, schlechtes Benehmen
  • Fehlverhaltenact in an inappropriate manner
  • schlechtes Benehmenact in an inappropriate manner
Greek ατακτώ
  • ατακτώ (ataktó)act in an inappropriate manner
Hindi दुर्व्यवहार, दुराचार
  • दुर्व्यवहार (durvyavhār)act in an inappropriate manner
  • दुराचार (durācār)act in an inappropriate manner
Māori haututū, tīhoihoi
  • haututūact in an inappropriate manner
  • tīhoihoiact in an inappropriate manner
Polish być niegrzecznym, źle się zachowywać
  • być niegrzecznymact in an inappropriate manner
  • źle się zachowywaćact in an inappropriate manner
  • łobuzowaćact in an inappropriate manner
  • broićact in an inappropriate manner
  • rojbrowaćact in an inappropriate manner
Russian плохо себя вести
  • плохо себя вести (ploxo sebja vesti)act in an inappropriate manner
Spanish portarse mal, comportarse mal
  • portarse malact in an inappropriate manner
  • comportarse malact in an inappropriate manner
  • extremarse la notaact in an inappropriate manner
  • guitoact in an inappropriate manner

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with misbehave

savedavewaveslavecavegraveWAVbravefavebehaveraveshavewaivepavecravenavestavesuaveclaveengraveMaeveenslaveknavelave
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

misbehave. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/misbehave

MLA

“misbehave.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/misbehave. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “misbehave,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/misbehave.

Source: misbehave on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.