What does brat mean?
A brat is a child who is badly behaved, spoiled, or persistently annoying — one who throws tantrums, demands attention, and disregards rules. The word is informal and mildly derogatory, though among friends and family it can be used teasingly or even affectionately. Beyond its core sense, "brat" extends informally to any disagreeable person regardless of age, especially in British usage. It also appears in established compounds: a "military brat" or "army brat" is the child of a service member, a usage that carries neutral or even affectionate connotations, while "Brat Pack" refers to a group of young actors prominent in 1980s American films. The word's history is surprisingly humble: it originally meant a rough, ragged garment before shifting to describe people dressed in rags and finally children themselves. In recent years the word has enjoyed renewed cultural currency, notably through Charli XCX's 2024 album *Brat*.
A child, especially one who is badly behaved, spoiled, or annoying.
"The neighbors' kid is such a brat that no babysitter will take the job twice."
Mildly derogatory; can be affectionate in familiar contexts.
(Informal) An ill-mannered or irritating person, regardless of age.
"He's a grown man acting like a brat because his team lost."
Common in British English; always informal and disparaging.
Regular plural; used both literally for multiple children and idiomatically in compounds like "military brats."
"The playground was overrun with screaming brats."
In the early 1500s, a 'brat' wasn't even a child — it was a ragged garment, and only later did it come to mean someone dressed in rags before settling on its modern sense.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of brat
"Brat" originated as a slang term for a coarse garment or cloth rag, first recorded in English in the early 16th century. Its origin is uncertain, though it may be related to Old Irish "brat" meaning a cloak or mantle. From the sense of ragged clothing it came to denote a person dressed in rags, then a beggar's child, and eventually any unruly or annoying child — a semantic shift completed by around the 17th century.
Related word forms
How brat is actually used
"Brat" is informal and mildly derogatory when applied to children, though it can be used affectionately among family or friends. Compounds like "military brat" carry a largely neutral or even proud connotation. The 2024 Charli XCX album *Brat* popularized the word as a positive aesthetic label for confident, unapologetic behavior.
Easily confused with brat
"Brats" is also a short form of "bratwurst," a type of German sausage, a meaning entirely unrelated to the word for a misbehaved child.