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

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

Adverb

• perfectly
• immaculately
• finely
• to a nicety
• to a turn

Verb

• caress
• stroke
• hug

Adjective

• stubborn
• adamant
• steadfast

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

The pat explanation for this shift is that people are just too busy, too broke, and too brain-melted to read serious books any more. — Literary Hub, 15 July 2026

Drying Blueberries After Washing After rinsing the blueberries, pour onto paper towels or a clean cloth and pat dry. — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 10 July 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

Some of it is just an extreme version of your grandmother who used to futilely pat the bottom of her chin to fix that waddle. — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026

In police body camera footage, which Feder shared with WCCO, Feder gets out with his hands up and an officer pats him down. — Ashley Grams, CBS News, 12 July 2026

Adjective

Erbach spent decades in the Bay Area and had owned a concert staging company in the United States before retiring to an ex-pat community near Guadalajara. — Steve Fisher, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026

Nwosu’s script likewise avoids pat female-bonding sentiments, attentive to the experiences and worldviews that can still separate women in a man’s world. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026

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
• pat on the back
• pit-a-pat
• stand pat

Rhymes for pat

• at
• bat
• batt
• brat
• cat
• chat
• fat
• flat
• gat
• gnat
• hat
• kat

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