drat

[drat]

verb (used with object)

dratted, dratting 

1. to damn; confound.

   Drat your interference.

interjection

1. (used to express mild disgust, disappointment, or the like).

   Drat, there goes another button off my shirt.

drat

/ dræt /

interjection

1. slang,  an exclamation of annoyance (also in the phrases drat it! drat you! etc)

Word History and Origins

Origin of drat¹

First recorded in 1805–15; alteration of (o)d rot God rot (i.e., may God rot him, her, it)

Word History and Origins

Origin of drat¹

C19: probably alteration of God rot

Example Sentences

When Mr. Anobile began work on “Why a Duck?,” he recalled, he envisioned creating a short, simple book, like “Drat,” filled with quotations and stills from Marx Brothers films.

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Drat, thought Ralph, and he ran up Ryan’s leg in hopes of a glimpse of the test that lay ahead.

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“Drat,” Jinjoo whispered as she ushered her brothers into the smelly outhouse.

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That’s a question the Seahawks will likely deliver a final answer to when the drat rolls around later this month, the logical time to make a trade if the Seahawks were to eventually consider it.

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“Drat that boy,” interposed my sister, frowning at me over her work, “what a questioner he is. Ask no questions, and you’ll be told no lies.”

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Related Words

• dang 
• doggone 

When To Use

What does drat mean?

Drat is something you say to express mild frustration, disappointment, or disgust.Drat is most commonly used as an interjection (something exclaimed to express some kind of emotion). Less commonly, it is used as a verb with a meaning similar to damn, for which it is considered a euphemism (a milder version).Example: Drat, I lost my phone!