brat
Americannoun
noun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of brat
First recorded in 1500–20; perhaps transferred use of Middle English brat “cloak of coarse cloth, rag,” Old English bratt “cloak,” from Celtic; compare Irish brat “mantle, cloak”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mr. Cain convincingly proves his central thesis: that Jobs’s years at NeXT were the crucible that transformed him from willful brat to seasoned leader.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026
"The Moment" satirises the consequences of her hit 2024 album "brat", as rapacious record company executives and a film director played by Alexander Skarsgard seek to jump on the juggernaut.
From Barron's • Feb. 14, 2026
He grew up an Army brat, moving around the world until his father completed his military career and settled in Golden, Colo., to take a job at a family lumber business.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 11, 2025
Fresh from her five wins at the 2025 Brit Awards in March, Charli XCX had fans reliving their "brat summer" on Saturday, performing such hits as Von Dutch and 360 to a bumper crowd.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2025
So the foolish little brat waited until your dormitory was deserted and stole it back.
From "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets" by J. K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
