pat

1 of 6

noun

ˈpat 

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

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

Phrases

pat on the back

: an expression of approval

Synonyms

Adverb

• faultlessly
• flawlessly
• ideally
• immaculately
• impeccably
• perfectly

Verb

• caress
• fondle
• gentle
• love
• pet
• stroke

Adjective

• adamant
• adamantine
• bullheaded
• dogged
• hard
• hard-nosed
• hardened
• hardheaded
• headstrong
• immovable
• implacable
• inconvincible
• inflexible
• intransigent
• mulish
• obdurate
• obstinate
• opinionated
• ossified
• pertinacious
• perverse
• pigheaded
• self-opinionated
• self-willed
• stiff-necked
• stubborn
• unbending
• uncompromising
• unrelenting
• unyielding
• willful
• wilful

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

Noun

Even his nods to metafiction, a genre known for playing with form and defying traditions, feel pat. —Stephen Kearse, Washington Post, 17 July 2024

Cherry Dump Cake Ingredients 2 (21 ounce) cans blueberry pie filling 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional) 1 package 2-layer-size yellow cake mix 3/4 cup butter, sliced into 24 pats Vanilla ice cream (optional) Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 June 2024

Adverb

The 2016 draft was the last time the Bengals stayed pat through all seven rounds. —Tyler Dragon, Cincinnati.com, 21 Apr. 2020

To use, soak the disc about 15 minutes, pat dry, and snap in place. —Jean Kressy, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Sep. 2019

Verb

Meanwhile, scripted segments like Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s cringeworthy bar encounter with Taylor Zakhar Perez fell flat, and John Leguizamo’s extensive rundown of the Emmys’ recent progress on diversity felt self-indulgent, like the TV Academy loudly patting itself on the back. —Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 15 Sep. 2024

Despite the efforts of toplining Connie Britton as an American expat in Rome, Robert Salerno’s feature directorial bow ultimately feels like a supernatural drama suited for television, too mild in its suspense and too pat in its soapy emphasis on maternal suffering. —Dennis Harvey, Variety, 12 Sep. 2024

Adjective

But while the message is pat, the way it’s presented is poignant, thanks to an arresting lead performance from Gong, who manages a tricky balance of chilliness and charm. —Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2023

The balance changes from story to story, and sometimes the genre conventions feel too pat, as genre conventions will. —Noah Berlatsky, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2022

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

Phrases Containing pat

• a pat on the back
• go pit-a-pat
• pat-a-cake
• pat down
• pit-a-pat
• stand pat

Kids Definition

pat

1 of 3 noun

ˈpat 

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