misbehavior

misbehavior — noun

1. Actions by someone, usually a child or a pet, that are rude, naughty, or break t

1.nounB2
Definition

Actions by someone, usually a child or a pet, that are rude, naughty, or break the rules of a place.

Example

The teacher kept a notebook to record any misbehavior during her music classes.

uncountable noun in 'record/note any misbehavior'

Rafael's parents apologized for his misbehavior on the long flight to Manila.

possessive + misbehavior pattern

Common collocations
  • record misbehavior
  • punish misbehavior
  • repeated misbehavior
  • any misbehavior
Synonyms
  • naughtiness

    softer, mostly used of small children

  • misconduct

    more formal; common for adults at work or in official settings

  • mischief

    playful or harmless trouble-making, not serious wrongdoing

Antonyms
  • good behavior

    the standard opposite, especially in school and prison contexts

  • obedience

    stresses following rules or orders rather than general conduct

Grammar Patterns

misbehavior of [person/animal]

misbehavior toward/in [context]

Usage Note

Subject is usually a child, student, or animal — rarely used for adults outside formal or legal contexts. Often appears with 'any', 'repeated', or a possessive ('his', 'their').

Common Mistakes

He apologized for his misbehaviors.
He apologized for his misbehavior.
uncountable in everyday use; do not add an -s plural.
The dog made a misbehavior.
The dog showed some misbehavior.
pairs with 'show', 'have', 'record', or 'punish'; not 'make'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four words all describe wrong or rule-breaking actions, but they differ in who does them and how serious they sound. 'Misbehavior' is the neutral school-and-home word, used most often about children, students, or pets who do not follow ordinary rules. 'Misconduct' is more formal and typically describes adults at work, in sport, or in an official role — a banker accused of financial misconduct, a referee citing a player for misconduct. 'Naughtiness' is the softest term, almost affectionate, and is reserved for small children doing small wrong things. 'Mischief' is playful trouble-making with no real harm intended — two cousins hiding their grandfather's slippers is mischief, not misbehavior. So a parent might tolerate mischief, correct misbehavior, and report serious misconduct.

misbehavior ↗misconduct ↗naughtiness ↗mischief ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • pattern of misbehavior
  • history of misbehavior
  • case of misbehavior
  • report of misbehavior

Phrases

  • record misbehavior
  • punish misbehavior
  • ignore misbehavior
  • any misbehavior
  • repeated misbehavior

Prepositions

  • misbehavior of
  • misbehavior toward
  • misbehavior at
  • misbehavior in
  • misbehavior on

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Built inside English from the prefix 'mis-' meaning 'wrongly' or 'badly' plus the noun 'behavior'. 'Behavior' itself comes from the older verb 'behave' (from Middle English 'be-' + 'have', literally 'to have or carry oneself'). The 'mis-' prefix is a productive Old English element still used today to form negative pairs like 'misuse', 'misjudge', 'misstep'. The spelling 'misbehavior' is the American form; British English keeps the 'u' as 'misbehaviour'.