brat

1 of 2

noun (1)

1
a
disparaging : child
specifically : an ill-mannered annoying child
a spoiled brat
b
: an ill-mannered immature person
2
: the child of a career military person
army brats
also : the child of a person whose career is in a specified and typically unusual field
Hollywood brats
brattiness noun
brattish adjective
bratty adjective

Examples of brat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
According to his obituary, Funkhouser was born an Air Force brat in Michigan and played football in high school. David Chiu, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025 Lorde writhed and danced on the b-stage and then launched into her own verse, recorded for the song’s viral remix during the brat-green summer of 2024. Rachel Scharf, Billboard, 19 Oct. 2025 Naturally, the stage lights turned brat green. Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2025 You guys are serving up some good brats. Outside Online, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for brat

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

perhaps from English dialect brat coarse garment

Noun (2)

by shortening

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1505, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of brat was circa 1505

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brat. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

brat

noun
: child sense 2a
especially : an ill-mannered annoying child
brattish adjective
bratty adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on brat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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