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Synonyms

brat

American  
[brat] / bræt /

noun

  1. a child, especially an annoying, spoiled, or impolite child (usually used in contempt or irritation).

brat 1 British  
/ bræt /

noun

  1. a child, esp one who is ill-mannered or unruly: used contemptuously or playfully

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
brat 2 British  
/ bræt /

noun

  1. dialect an apron or overall

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • brattish adjective

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.

Ben described being called a "brat" online for distancing himself from his mother to protect his mental health.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 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

Freddie isn’t merely the petulant brat of the first Broadway production, but suffering from bipolar disorder.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 17, 2025

Could she prevent that from happening and keep her brat summer going?

From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2025

"Likely it will be little enough. The brat hope is Winterfell. The Starks must rally the north."

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

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.