brat

en
en
Change language
Translating...
Find language
العربية الفصحى
Arabic (Standard)
Deutsch
German
Español
Spanish
Français
French
हिन्दी
Hindi
/bræt/
Add to My Dictionary
In My Dictionary
+1
A sharp word for a spoiled child, and in other contexts a service-family child, a bratwurst, a pop-culture mood, a kink role, or a rare rough garment.
Practice using brat in conversation until it feels natural

Examples

  • The recipe calls for four brats and a pile of sauerkraut.
  • Modern readers often miss the clothing sense of brat.
  • They negotiated whether brat play suited their dynamic.
  • Online profiles sometimes list brat beside other BDSM roles.
  • The campaign borrowed brat colours without copying the whole attitude.

Similar words

cloak
unapologetic
pest
banger
imp
messy
third-culture kid
bold
scamp
bratty submissive

Meanings

Badly behaved child

noun
family
informal
A child, or sometimes an immature adult, who is rude, spoiled, noisy, or hard to manage.

Examples

  • The brat kicked the seat until his father moved him.
  • Calling a child a brat can sound harsher than calling the behaviour rude.
  • She apologized for acting like a brat at the party.
  • The neighbours complained about the brats throwing stones at cars.
  • He was no angel, but he was not the selfish brat they described.
  • The coach refused to reward a brat who shouted at teammates.

Similar words

spoiled child
imp
rascal
pest
troublemaker
scamp

Child from a service or career family

noun
military life
informal
A child who grows up around a parent's military service or another highly mobile profession, often moving between bases, schools, or countries.

Examples

  • As a military brat, she attended six schools before graduation.
  • The memoir follows an army brat adjusting to a new base.
  • He met other service brats who understood constant moving.
  • A theatre brat may grow up backstage around rehearsals and tours.
  • The navy brat learned to make friends quickly.
  • Not every military brat sees the label as an insult.

Similar words

military child
service child
base kid
third-culture kid

Bratwurst sausage

noun
food
informal
A bratwurst, especially in American English, usually grilled and served in a bun or with mustard, onions, or sauerkraut.

Examples

  • We grilled brats before the baseball game.
  • The stand sells a brat with onions and spicy mustard.
  • He simmered the brats in beer before browning them.
  • A hot brat and a cold drink made a quick festival lunch.
  • She chose a veggie brat instead of the pork sausage.
  • The recipe calls for four brats and a pile of sauerkraut.

Similar words

bratwurst
sausage
wurst
link
banger

Boldly messy and defiant

adjective
pop culture
slang
Confident, rebellious, imperfect, and party-ready in the pop-culture style popularised by Charli XCX's album and the phrase brat summer.

Examples

  • Her lime-green jacket felt very brat.
  • The club night promised a brat mix of chaos and glamour.
  • After the album blew up, brat became shorthand for a messy, confident mood.
  • The campaign borrowed brat colours without copying the whole attitude.
  • She called the outfit brat, not polished or quiet.
  • The meme turned brat into a political and fashion adjective.

Similar words

bold
defiant
carefree
hedonistic
unapologetic
messy

Playfully defiant submissive

noun
sexuality
slang
In consensual BDSM, a submissive who teases, resists, or breaks small rules as part of negotiated play.

Examples

  • The brat teased the dominant only within the scene's agreed limits.
  • Some kink communities use brat for playful resistance, not real refusal.
  • A responsible brat still respects safewords.
  • The workshop explained how a brat role differs from poor consent.
  • They negotiated whether brat play suited their dynamic.
  • Online profiles sometimes list brat beside other BDSM roles.

Similar words

bratty submissive
playful submissive
tease
provocateur

Rough apron or garment

noun
regional dialect
archaic
A regional or historical word for a rough apron, pinafore, cloak, or other simple covering worn over clothes.

Examples

  • The old account describes a linen brat worn over the dress.
  • Dialect glossaries record brat as a rough apron or pinafore.
  • She tied a working brat around her waist before churning butter.
  • The word brat can name a garment in older northern usage.
  • A torn brat hung beside the stable door.
  • Modern readers often miss the clothing sense of brat.

Similar words

apron
pinafore
overall
smock
cloak
covering

Etymology

From Middle English brat, first used for a rough cloak or rag and later for a child, probably through the idea of a child in rags. The sausage sense is shortened from German Bratwurst. The recent pop-culture adjective spread after Charli XCX's 2024 album Brat.

FAQ

Comments & contributions

Know this word from another angle? Add a correction, a nuance, or a usage note. New posts go public after a quick review.
Posting as a guest · Sign in
No comments yet. Be the first to add one.
Look up word or phrase...