misbehave

Meanings

1. 1verbintransitive

   To act badly or break rules, especially for children, students, or pets.

   Grammar: No object; often used for children or animals: The children misbehaved at school.

   Patterns

   • misbehave at school
   • misbehave in class
   • misbehave for someone

   The children misbehaved at the restaurant, so their parents took them home.

   If you misbehave in class, you will have to stay after school.

   The puppy misbehaves when he is left alone for too long.

2. 2verbintransitiveformal

   To behave improperly or in a way that is not acceptable in a formal situation.

   Grammar: Used for adults too, often in formal or official contexts: The officer misbehaved while on duty.

   Patterns

   • misbehave in public
   • misbehave at work

   The officer was accused of misbehaving while on duty.

   He misbehaved at the meeting and was asked to leave.

Word forms

Common combinations

misbehave badly

The students misbehaved badly during the assembly.

misbehave in public

She warned her son not to misbehave in public.

misbehave at school

He often misbehaves at school and gets sent to the principal.

misbehave for someone

The kids always misbehave for the babysitter.

Synonyms and how they differ

act up

Informal; often used for machines or children, and suggests annoying but not serious behavior.

behave badly

A neutral phrase that can replace misbehave in most contexts.

act out

Often used in psychology for expressing emotions through bad behavior; more specific than misbehave.

Opposites

Word family

misbehavior noun

The act of behaving badly.

misbehaved adjective

Describing someone who has behaved badly, as in a misbehaved child.

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “misbehave”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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