[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/misbehave/)

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# misbehave

verb (misbehave, misbehaves, misbehaved, misbehaving)

«misbehave» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To misbehave means to behave badly, to be naughty or not follow the rules. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misbehave/#m1)
2. (informal) A machine that misbehaves does not work as it should: "the printer is misbehaving again". [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misbehave/#m2)

### In the lessons

In school, pupils who misbehave may lose playtime or be sent to see the head. In stories, misbehaving children and pets cause trouble and fun. Phrases: misbehave in class, misbehaving pupils.

### Examples

- If you misbehave, you'll miss break time. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misbehave/#x1)
- The puppy misbehaved and chewed my shoe. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misbehave/#x2)
- Two boys misbehaved on the school trip. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misbehave/#x3)
- My little brother always misbehaves when he's tired. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misbehave/#x4)
- The computer is misbehaving again. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misbehave/#x5)
- Nobody misbehaved during the assembly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misbehave/#x6)

### Note

Noun: misbehaviour (UK) or misbehavior (USA). The prefix mis- means "badly" or "wrongly". It is a slightly formal word; children say "be naughty" or "be bad".

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «misbehave» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misbehave/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«misbehave» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/misbehave.html) on Mova free.