as in naughty
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior
a new approach for disciplining a chronically misbehaving child
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in disobeying
to behave badly
scolded the children for misbehaving and sent them to bed early
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misbehaving
Adjective
-
The Renaissance’s old love language — the naughty puns, the sighs of longing and strategies of seduction, the paeans to the beauty of beloveds masked by fanciful Greek and Latin names — had grown obsolete long before Millay’s time.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
1 May 2025 -
They are seen flinging a pizza box into their bucolic yard, smearing their faces with paint, raising their middle fingers, and saying naughty words.—
Peter Tonguette,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Sure there might be a mischievous mouse-deer stealing fruit from an orangutan, but once the mystery is solved, the two animals comprise on how to share—no harm or conflict intended.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
20 May 2025
-
Two decades on, Stitch ranks among Disney’s most ubiquitous characters — especially from a merchandising perspective, as that mischievous mug of his can be seen on backpacks, plush toys, T-shirts and, well, mugs of all sizes.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
Glorifying motherhood, meanwhile, in practical terms, may only make mothers’ daily lives worse.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
23 May 2025
-
Anything under par around here in these conditions isn't a bad score.—
Julio Cesar Valdera Morales,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Misbehaving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misbehaving. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share