verb
misbehave
verb
1
To act badly or improperly, especially by breaking rules of conduct.
"The children misbehaved all afternoon while their babysitter was on the phone."
"The software misbehaves whenever the network connection drops."
How to Use Misbehave
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo act up or break the rules of good conduct.
Common pairings
misbehave in class
children misbehaving
the dog misbehaved
Word Forms
misbehaved past tense, misbehaves singular
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The children _____ all afternoon while their babysitter was on the phone.
Etymology
From Middle English misbehaven, simply mis- (\"wrongly\") added to behave.