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
In her third season in the WNBA, the once-shining superstar is acting like a spoiled brat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
Born Robert Selden Duvall in January 1931 in San Diego, California, Duvall was a self-proclaimed "navy brat" due to his father's life-long career in the United States Navy.
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 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
He’s talking to me like I’m the brat who isn’t getting my way.
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
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
The smell of burgers, brats and other grilled delicacies wafted through the air as children played football on the grass and a nearby patch of dirt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2025
Going au natural means not hearing a lot of the annoying sounds we all endure: leaf blowers, airplanes, car alarms, neighbors and their relatives chowing down brats in the backyard.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 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
I said, “I’m okay,” and we crowded onto the ride, shoving past some preppy parents who dragged their whining, disinterested brats alongside them.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
