brat
Americannoun
-
brats
plural
noun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
No matter how many conversion memoirs he writes, he will always be the same annoying little brat.
From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026
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
Ben described being called a "brat" online for distancing himself from his mother to protect his mental health.
From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026
What's a megastar to do when she has defined an entire summer, produced a multi-million-selling album and even persuaded the dictionary eggheads to declare "brat" a word of the year?
From Barron's ● Jan. 24, 2026
“If you want to know that stuff, you should ask that little brat with the blond braids. She was standing right there when the box broke.”
From "Trouble at the Arcade (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #1)" by Franklin W. Dixon
On opening day, Micheal Boushele grilled brats next to his family’s fishing shanty under sunny skies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
Wisconsin, land of cheese curds and brats and brandy Old Fashioneds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2025
Burgers, brats and beer go along with the cornhole and camaraderie for tens of thousands of people every Saturday, a beloved tradition seen outside stadiums big and small.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 6, 2023
Think of nearly any Hollywood film about suburban teenagers, in which the good-looking spoiled brats of the country-club set get their comeuppance in the third act after reveling in all sorts of bad behavior.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2023
He snatches them from my hands and grumbles about house-destroying brats as he stuffs them into his sack.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
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.
