drat

American  

[drat] / dræt /

verb (used with object)

dratted, dratting

1. to damn; confound.

   Drat your interference.

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interjection

1. (used to express mild disgust, disappointment, or the like).

   Drat, there goes another button off my shirt.

drat British  

/ dræt /

interjection

1. slang an exclamation of annoyance (also in the phrases drat it! drat you! etc)

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Usage

What does drat mean? Drat is something you say to express mild frustration, disappointment, or disgust.Drat is most commonly used as an interjection (something exclaimed to express some kind of emotion). Less commonly, it is used as a verb with a meaning similar to damn, for which it is considered a euphemism (a milder version).Example: Drat, I lost my phone!

Etymology

Origin of drat

First recorded in 1805–15; alteration of (o)d rot God rot (i.e., may God rot him, her, it)

Example Sentences

“Well, she is the baby nurse, after all. . . . Drat, now I’ve lost track. How many was that?”

From Literature

“And there is another, rather intriguing portrait of her at the British Museum that deserves to be more widely seen. I’ve arranged to have it moved to Swanburne as a permanent loan, courtesy of the meweezum. Drat! I mean museum. Now you’ve got me saying it, Cassawoof!”

From Literature

When Mr. Anobile began work on “Why a Duck?,” he recalled, he envisioned creating a short, simple book, like “Drat,” filled with quotations and stills from Marx Brothers films.

From New York Times

Drat, thought Ralph, and he ran up Ryan’s leg in hopes of a glimpse of the test that lay ahead.

From Literature

“Drat,” Jinjoo whispered as she ushered her brothers into the smelly outhouse.

From Literature

Related Words

• dang
• doggone