brat

IPA/bræt/
KK[brˈæt]IPA/bræt/

brat — noun

  • bratsingular
  • bratsplural

1. a child whose behaviour is rude, selfish, or difficult for adults to control

1.名詞B1
釋義

a child whose behaviour is rude, selfish, or difficult for adults to control

例句

The little brat threw his toys across the room when his mother said no.

collocation: little brat

Our neighbour's brat keeps ringing our doorbell late at night and running away.

同義詞
  • spoiled child

    emphasises that bad behaviour is caused by overindulgent parents

  • troublemaker

    broader term that can describe anyone who causes problems, not just children

  • imp

    much milder and more playful; often used affectionately

反義詞
  • angel

    used metaphorically for a very well-behaved child

  • goody-goody

    informal, sometimes teasing, for someone who always obeys rules

用法筆記

Often used before 'little', 'spoiled', or 'selfish' to describe the type of bad behaviour. The word is negative and insulting when directed at a child.

常見錯誤

❌What a cute little brat!
✅What a naughty little child!
💡'brat' is always negative, so using it with positive adjectives like 'cute' sounds contradictory.

2. a child raised by a parent with a military career, typically growing up in a fam

2.名詞C1
釋義

a child raised by a parent with a military career, typically growing up in a family that moves often to different bases

例句

Lin grew up as an army brat and moved to a new base every two years.

compound noun: army brat

The school near the military base had many brats whose parents were deployed overseas.

同義詞

用法筆記

Almost always used with a preceding branch of service: 'army brat', 'navy brat', 'marine brat', or the general term 'military brat'. Not usually applied to adult children.

常見錯誤

❌My son is a troublemaker — he's such an army brat.
✅My son grew up as an army brat and is used to moving around.
💡'army brat' describes being the child of a military parent, not a badly-behaved child in the army.

3. a thick pork sausage flavoured with spices and herbs, cooked on a grill and ofte

3.名詞C1
釋義

a thick pork sausage flavoured with spices and herbs, cooked on a grill and often served in a bread roll; short form of 'bratwurst'

例句

We grilled brat sausages for the picnic and served them in long bread rolls.

collocation: grill brat sausages

Olga bought a pack of fresh brats from the butcher for the weekend barbecue.

short form: brats

同義詞
  • bratwurst

    the full, more formal name

  • sausage

    broader category; less specific

  • link

    American English term for any individual sausage in a chain

用法筆記

Common in American English, especially at cookouts, fairs, and sports events. 'Brat' without 'wurst' is very informal. The full form 'bratwurst' is preferred in writing and menus.

常見錯誤

❌I ate three brats for breakfast with cereal.
✅We ate brats at the baseball game.
💡'brat' as a sausage is typically associated with casual outdoor meals and events, not everyday breakfast.