bratty

[ brat-ee ]

adjective

, brat·ti·er, brat·ti·est.

1. characteristic of or resembling a brat; impudent; ill-mannered:

   bratty remarks; bratty tricks.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bratty¹

brat + -y ¹

Example Sentences

You need someone to stare down bratty antics or blow up misinformation?

From Los Angeles Times

They talk about her like a bratty child.

From Salon

At Sundance in January, I joined the audience in cackling at “Fair Play,” in which a bratty finance guy devolves into a childish display of irascibility.

From New York Times

I think of orange as brown’s bratty little sister, which explains why this plant is included in our seasonal color recipe.

From Seattle Times

Rolling Stone magazine declared it was "another instant classic, with her most ambitious, intimate, and messy songs yet", while Pitchfork described the 12 songs as an "uproarious" collection of "bratty rocker-chick anthems and soul-searching ballads".

From BBC

More About Bratty

What does bratty mean?

Bratty describes someone or something considered to be ill-mannered, rude, impolite, or overly irritatingly.

The term is often used to be hurtful or judgemental of the one being labeled bratty. The person using the term usually disapproves of someone’s actions, whether or not those actions are breaking social conventions.

While children are most often the ones labeled as brats and being bratty, adults and animals can also be labeled as brats and being bratty. You might even hear objects, such as a computer or a car, being called bratty when it isn’t working as expected. Brattiness is sometimes associated with rebellion or indecency, particularly in regards to children. 

Sometimes, you’ll hear someone call themselves bratty to make fun of themselves or to apologize for something they did.

 Example: My bratty computer keeps shutting down for no reason!

Where does bratty come from?

The first records of the term bratty come from around the 1960s. It’s an American colloquialism that combines the term brat, meaning “an annoying, spoiled child,” and the suffix -y, meaning “characterized or inclined to.” Bratty, then, means inclined to be like a spoiled child.

Like bratty, brat is usually used with scorn or irritation toward a child or an adult the user thinks is acting childishly. However, it formerly implied that the person was unimportant or poor, as in beggar’s brat. In this sense, brat might not be intended as an insult, though likely the person being called a brat would consider it one.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to bratty?

• brattiness (noun)

What are some synonyms for bratty?

• aggravating
• annoying
• cheeky
• ill-mannered
• troublesome

What are some words that share a root or word element with bratty? 

• brat

What are some words that often get used in discussing bratty?

• annoying
• back talk
• behavior
• child
• remarks

How is bratty used in real life?

Bratty is used to judge someone (or something) that isn’t behaving the way the user thinks they should. It can be used to describe oneself, as well.

i swear people who still see damian as the "bratty, childish robin" haven't read a comic in years

— red ✺ (@95IMPULSE) March 31, 2022

I feel like @MarioLopezExtra and I are the Mom & Dad on elimination night! While the judges are bratty cousins! #xfactor

— Khloé (@khloekardashian) November 22, 2012

I asked my mom if we could get coffee and she said no. I said "Do you want to deal with bratty Janel?" We are now at a Starbucks. 👌

— Janel Parrish Long (@JanelParrish) September 2, 2013

 

Try using bratty!

Is bratty used correctly in the following sentence?

“Whenever our dog barks at the mail carrier, my dad tells him to stop acting bratty.”