pat

1 of 6

noun

ˈpat How to pronounce pat (audio)
Synonyms of patnext
1
: a light blow especially with the hand or a flat instrument
2
: a light tapping often rhythmical sound
3
: something (such as butter) shaped into a small flat usually square individual portion
see also:
pat on the back

pat

2 of 6

adverb

: in a pat manner : aptly, perfectly
has her part down pat

pat

3 of 6

verb

patted; patting

transitive verb

1
: to strike lightly with a flat instrument
2
: to flatten, smooth, or put into place or shape with light blows
3
: to tap or stroke gently with the hand to soothe, caress, or show approval

intransitive verb

: to strike or beat gently

pat

4 of 6

adjective

1
a
: exactly suited to the purpose or occasion : apt
b
: suspiciously appropriate : contrived
a pat ending
2
: learned, mastered, or memorized exactly
3
: firm, unyielding
4
: reduced to a simple or mechanical form : standard, trite
pat answers

pat

5 of 6

abbreviation (1)

patent

PAT

6 of 6

abbreviation (2)

point after touchdown

Synonyms of pat

Relevance

Adverb

Verb

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of pat in a Sentence

Noun She gave the dog a quick pat. Adverb after months of practicing for the competition, the cheerleaders have their moves down pat Verb The child gently patted the dog's head. He patted my knee and told me everything would be fine. He patted his hair down. She patted the dough into a square. He patted the lettuce dry with a paper towel. Adjective The movie's pat ending was a disappointment. His explanation was too pat to be believable.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Now give yourself a big pat on the back. — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 23 June 2026 Levine Cava gave the golden-colored dog a vigorous pat on the head. — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 27 June 2026
Adverb
The 2016 draft was the last time the Bengals stayed pat through all seven rounds. — Tyler Dragon, Cincinnati.com, 21 Apr. 2020
Verb
Wemby walked over and patted him a couple of times on the back. — Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 11 June 2026 Been shooting some nice low scores in these last couple weeks outs here, so that’s something good to pat myself on the back. — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2026
Adjective
Twain has long been accused of giving Huck Finn an overly pat, comic ending. — Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025 Unlike her wryly astute essays, the playwright scarcely reckons with the thorny nuances of mourning, and instead settles for a rather pat depiction of grief. — Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for pat

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English patte, probably of imitative origin

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1578, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1533, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

1631, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of pat was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing pat

Rhymes for pat

See All Rhymes for pat

Browse Nearby Words

PA system
pat
PAT
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pat. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

pat

1 of 3 noun
ˈpat How to pronounce pat (audio)
1
: a light blow especially with the hand or a flat instrument
2
: a light tapping sound
3
: something (as butter) shaped into a small flat portion

pat

2 of 3 verb
patted; patting
1
: to strike lightly with the hand or a flat instrument : strike or beat gently
2
: to flatten, smooth, or shape with pats
3
: to tap or stroke gently with the hand to soothe or to show affection or approval

pat

3 of 3 adjective
patter; pattest
1
: exactly suited : apt, timely
a pat answer
2
: learned exactly
have a lesson down pat
3
: firm entry 1 sense 2b, unyielding
stand pat

Medical Definition

PAT

abbreviation
paroxysmal atrial tachycardia

More from Merriam-Webster on pat

Nglish: Translation of pat for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pat

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