Misbecame

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To depart from an appropriate or expected course; to behave improperly or fail to correspond to standards; to fall short of desired conduct or appearance
2. To act in a manner that is unsuitable or unbecoming; to deviate from what is fitting or proper in behavior or condition; to not accord with accepted norms
3. To exhibit conduct that is considered inappropriate or out of place; to fail to conform to the conventional expectations of demeanor or suitability; to manifest unsatisfactory or disagreeable traits

Etymology: "Misbecame" is the simple past of "misbecome," so it is the form of the verb meaning to behave unsuitably or fall short of what is fitting. The verb itself is a straightforward compound: the prefix "mis-," from Old English, which carries the sense of wrongness or error, joined to "become," the familiar verb meaning to suit or befit someone. Together they describe conduct that does not match what would be proper for a person or situation. The prefix has a long pedigree. It descends from Proto-Germanic "missa-," which meant something like "amiss" or "wrongly," and it reached English through Old English and Middle English as "mys-" before settling into the spelling "mis-." Because the prefix was so productive, English has many similar pairs, such as "misbehave" and "mislead," in which the base verb keeps its ordinary meaning while the prefix reverses or spoils it.

Synonyms: became wrongly, turned out badly

Antonyms: became well, turned out well