patverb [ T ]
uk/pæt/us/pæt/-tt-C2 to touch someone or something gently and usually repeatedly with the hand flat:
He patted my head/patted me on the head affectionately.
I bent down to pat the little puppy.
More examples
- She patted him on the head as she went past.
- He patted her on the back affectionately.
- He patted her arm reassuringly.
- She patted the dog on the head.
- She patted him lightly on the bottom.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Touching & feeling
- brush
- feel
- feel your way idiom
- fiddle
- fiddle (around) with sth
- finger
- hand
- hand to hand idiom
- handle
- haptic
- kinaesthesia
- lick
- nudge
- paw
- play
- play with sth
- tactile
- tap
- toy
- toy with sth
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Idiom(s)
pat sb on the back
Phrasal verb(s)
pat sb down
patnoun [ C ]
uk/pæt/us/pæt/pat noun [ C ] (TOUCH)
the act of patting a person or animal:
I gave the little boy a pat on the head.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Touching & feeling
- brush
- feel
- feel your way idiom
- fiddle
- fiddle (around) with sth
- finger
- hand
- hand to hand idiom
- handle
- haptic
- kinaesthesia
- lick
- nudge
- paw
- play
- play with sth
- tactile
- tap
- toy
- toy with sth
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pat noun [ C ] (PIECE)
a small flat piece, especially of butter
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Words meaning small pieces and amounts
- by a nose idiom
- chip
- clipping
- crumb
- dollop
- droplet
- flake
- germ
- jot
- nose
- patch
- pennyworth
- pinprick
- ray
- scattering
- scintilla
- shadow
- shard
- shred
- trace
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Idiom(s)
a pat on the back
patadjective
uk/pæt/us/pæt/usually disapprovingA pat answer or remark has been previously prepared, so that it is said quickly and without any real thought:
The spokesman came out with a pat answer/response.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Not showing careful thought
- airy
- cuff
- flip
- flippant
- frivolity
- frivolous
- ill-conceived
- incautious
- lightweight
- off the cuff idiom
- preconceived
- shallow
- shoot
- shoot from the hip idiom
- skin-deep
- superficial
- thoughtless
- unconsidered
- unthinking
- wild
Idiom(s)
have/know sth off pat