misbehavior

noun

mis·​be·​hav·​ior ˌmis-bi-ˈhā-vyər How to pronounce misbehavior (audio)
-bē-
plural misbehaviors
Synonyms of misbehaviornext
1
: bad, improper, or rude behavior : ill conduct
scolded the children for their misbehavior
2
US military law : any conduct by a member of the armed forces before or in the presence of the enemy that does not conform to military standards or practice for such a situation
… is charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, the latter of which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.—The Boston Herald

Synonyms of misbehavior

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Examples of misbehavior in a Sentence

would not tolerate any misbehavior from her students
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
OpenAI said its agents disabled parts of an internal misbehavior monitoring system, intensifying worries of AI acting in malign ways. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026 Over the past decade, school districts across Texas have sought to make classrooms safer by swelling the number of police officers on campuses and taking a tougher stance on misbehavior. — Kristian Hernández, San Antonio Express-News, 15 Oct. 2026 Leer en español Over the past decade, school districts across Texas have sought to make classrooms safer by swelling the number of police officers on campuses and taking a tougher stance on misbehavior. — Rosie Cima, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026 The Board of Education, citing costs, gave Maes just a week to investigate the allegations against Hunter, a notably short timeline given that previous inquiries into alleged misbehavior by DPS directors have taken months. — Jessica Seaman, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for misbehavior

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misbehavior was in the 15th century

Rhymes for misbehavior

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Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Misbehavior.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misbehavior. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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