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
patted; patting
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
: to strike or beat gently
patent
point after touchdown
Synonyms
Adverb
Verb
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
Example Sentences
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.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Ginia Bellafante, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2023
To many, a good tortilla, its earthy aroma perfuming every bite, needs nothing more than a pat of salted butter or a swipe of honey.
—Washington Post, 15 June 2022
Celebrini ended it with a pat of approval, then Wiggins continued his pregame routine by watching film with assistant Jama Mahlalela.
—C.j. Holmes, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 May 2023
After the play Mike McCarthy gave him a pat on the backside.
—Dallas News, 4 Aug. 2022
Here, there's nothing to hold your attention in the interim, to make the journey worth the pat destination.
—A.a. Dowd, Chron, 5 May 2023
Visitors and the custodial staff report orbs, faces appearing in windows, and pats on the shoulders from the unseen.
—Pamela Wright, BostonGlobe.com, 4 May 2023
In addition, the researchers used SAWsense to add touch interfaces to more unusual geometries, such as head pats and belly rubs on a toy dragon.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 May 2023
Despite the pats on the back in the House chamber Wednesday evening, lawmakers are no closer to increasing the government's borrowing power and preventing the U.S. from defaulting on its debt.
—Candy Woodall, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2023
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
Drain onions, pat dry, and add to tomatoes along with the parsley, dill, and mint.
—Christopher Kimball, BostonGlobe.com, 17 July 2019
When the grill is nice and hot, pat dry the scallops with a paper towel.
—Multiple Authors, House Beautiful, 1 May 2010
Using a slotted spoon, transfer asparagus to a bowl of ice water to cool; pat dry.
—Bon Appetit, 14 May 2018
Remove the small side muscle from the scallops, rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry.
—Fox News, 14 Feb. 2018
The use of police pat-downs declined as a result starting in late 2015, according to Cassell and Fowles.
—Salvador Rizzo, chicagotribune.com, 14 May 2018
Leah Campano, Seventeen, 12 May 2023
At one market, there’s a 30-year veteran sushi chef slicing fresh fish, patting the rice and offering omakase.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2023
Remove apple slices from the water and pat dry to remove excess moisture, which can speed up the browning process.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2023
To use, sprinkle or pat about 2 tablespoons onto each pound of meat, seafood, or vegetables.
—Kate Merker, Good Housekeeping, 17 Apr. 2023
How to Reuse Your Clean Candle Jars Now that the grunt work is wrapped up, pat yourself on the back for taking a few minutes of your day to clean out the jars, rather than toss them into the trash.
—Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 7 Apr. 2023
Rinse the outside of the pheasants and pat them dry.
—Taryn White, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2023
Kilroy’s smile grew as White reached out to pat him on the head.
—Ashley Soebroto, BostonGlobe.com, 12 May 2023
Instead, pat the stain to avoid spreading it to other parts of the fabric.
—Lauren Smith Mcdonough, Good Housekeeping, 2 Feb. 2023
Steven Litt, cleveland, 12 Jan. 2023
The ending is not pat, nor fully happy.
—Laurie Hertzel, Star Tribune, 30 Oct. 2020
Houston's likely route this February is likely to stand relatively pat, with a Gordon trade (don't hold your breath waiting on a major haul in return) as the only deal on the immediate horizon.
—Michael Shapiro, Chron, 3 Feb. 2023
Season 1 of Emily in Paris introduced Mindy Chen, Emily’s instant bestie and fellow ex-pat living in the City of Love.
—Leah Campano, Seventeen, 22 Dec. 2022
Portugal’s low-cost of living, welcoming ex-pat communities, relative safety, and warm weather were enough to reel her in.
—Byjane Thier, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2022
For fans hoping for consolation after the Bulls stood pat at the NBA trade deadline, the game offered little comfort.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2023
The Texas Longhorns stood pat at No. 6 this week following a nail-biting win over Oklahoma.
—Dallas News, 2 Jan. 2023
The pessimists stood pat, forecasting $65 a barrel in the Dallas Fed's latest survey.
—Ryan Dezember, WSJ, 28 Sep. 2022
See More
Noun
In 2004, Charles Bryant, then a father in his 30s, was arrested in the Bronx with not quite 50 grams of crack — a quantity roughly equal to four robust pats of butter.
—Ginia Bellafante, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2023
To many, a good tortilla, its earthy aroma perfuming every bite, needs nothing more than a pat of salted butter or a swipe of honey.
—Washington Post, 15 June 2022
Celebrini ended it with a pat of approval, then Wiggins continued his pregame routine by watching film with assistant Jama Mahlalela.
—C.j. Holmes, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 May 2023
After the play Mike McCarthy gave him a pat on the backside.
—Dallas News, 4 Aug. 2022
Here, there's nothing to hold your attention in the interim, to make the journey worth the pat destination.
—A.a. Dowd, Chron, 5 May 2023
Visitors and the custodial staff report orbs, faces appearing in windows, and pats on the shoulders from the unseen.
—Pamela Wright, BostonGlobe.com, 4 May 2023
In addition, the researchers used SAWsense to add touch interfaces to more unusual geometries, such as head pats and belly rubs on a toy dragon.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 May 2023
Despite the pats on the back in the House chamber Wednesday evening, lawmakers are no closer to increasing the government's borrowing power and preventing the U.S. from defaulting on its debt.
—Candy Woodall, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2023
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
Drain onions, pat dry, and add to tomatoes along with the parsley, dill, and mint.
—Christopher Kimball, BostonGlobe.com, 17 July 2019
When the grill is nice and hot, pat dry the scallops with a paper towel.
—Multiple Authors, House Beautiful, 1 May 2010
Using a slotted spoon, transfer asparagus to a bowl of ice water to cool; pat dry.
—Bon Appetit, 14 May 2018
Remove the small side muscle from the scallops, rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry.
—Fox News, 14 Feb. 2018
The use of police pat-downs declined as a result starting in late 2015, according to Cassell and Fowles.
—Salvador Rizzo, chicagotribune.com, 14 May 2018
Verb
Don’t put too much pressure on the tattooed area and pat the skin to dry, Love advises.
—Leah Campano, Seventeen, 12 May 2023
At one market, there’s a 30-year veteran sushi chef slicing fresh fish, patting the rice and offering omakase.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2023
Remove apple slices from the water and pat dry to remove excess moisture, which can speed up the browning process.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2023
To use, sprinkle or pat about 2 tablespoons onto each pound of meat, seafood, or vegetables.
—Kate Merker, Good Housekeeping, 17 Apr. 2023
How to Reuse Your Clean Candle Jars Now that the grunt work is wrapped up, pat yourself on the back for taking a few minutes of your day to clean out the jars, rather than toss them into the trash.
—Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 7 Apr. 2023
Rinse the outside of the pheasants and pat them dry.
—Taryn White, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2023
Kilroy’s smile grew as White reached out to pat him on the head.
—Ashley Soebroto, BostonGlobe.com, 12 May 2023
Instead, pat the stain to avoid spreading it to other parts of the fabric.
—Lauren Smith Mcdonough, Good Housekeeping, 2 Feb. 2023
Adjective
There’s a 1785 pastel portrait by Irish artist Hugh Douglas Hamilton, depicting the English bon-vivant ex-pat, George Clavering Cowper, the 3rd Earl Cowper, who spent his adulthood in Italy as a patron of science and the arts.
—Steven Litt, cleveland, 12 Jan. 2023
The ending is not pat, nor fully happy.
—Laurie Hertzel, Star Tribune, 30 Oct. 2020
Houston's likely route this February is likely to stand relatively pat, with a Gordon trade (don't hold your breath waiting on a major haul in return) as the only deal on the immediate horizon.
—Michael Shapiro, Chron, 3 Feb. 2023
Season 1 of Emily in Paris introduced Mindy Chen, Emily’s instant bestie and fellow ex-pat living in the City of Love.
—Leah Campano, Seventeen, 22 Dec. 2022
Portugal’s low-cost of living, welcoming ex-pat communities, relative safety, and warm weather were enough to reel her in.
—Byjane Thier, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2022
For fans hoping for consolation after the Bulls stood pat at the NBA trade deadline, the game offered little comfort.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2023
The Texas Longhorns stood pat at No. 6 this week following a nail-biting win over Oklahoma.
—Dallas News, 2 Jan. 2023
The pessimists stood pat, forecasting $65 a barrel in the Dallas Fed's latest survey.
—Ryan Dezember, WSJ, 28 Sep. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
Dictionary Entries Near pat
Cite this Entry
“Pat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pat. Accessed 7 Jun. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
pat
1 of 3 noun1
: 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
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 English: Translation of pat for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pat
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