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:
But she knew she would always be known as that spoiled brat she played at age 17.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
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
Hali sweat more out playing with the little brat, but it was better than nothing.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
I celebrated a rail trip across Germany, for instance, with an Oktoberfest-style meal of brats and sauerkraut purchased from my local German butcher.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
The city of beers and brats was supposed to host the convention four years ago, but the in-person gathering was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2024
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
I picked up the receiver, trying not to imagine the hundreds of snot-nosed brats that had probably groped it, and prayed it still worked.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
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.
