pat means "the sound made by a gentle blow". That is the primary sense; the word has 7 in total, listed in full on this page.

How many syllables are in pat?

pat has 1 syllable: pat. In IPA it is /ˈpæt/.

What is another word for pat?

Close synonyms include rap, tap, tap, dab, chuck. Each sense on this page lists its own synonyms, because a word with several meanings rarely has one substitute that works for all of them.

Is pat a common word?

pat is banded "Common" — everyday vocabulary in speech and writing. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.

pat — meaning, pronunciation and 7 definitions

noun

2 sensesA person, place, thing, quality or idea.

1.
the sound made by a gentle blow
Synonymsrap tap
Broadersound
Narrowerpitter-patter
2.
a light touch or stroke
Synonymstap dab
Broadertouch

verb

2 sensesAn action, occurrence or state of being.

1.
pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin
Synonymschuck
Broadercaress
2.
hit lightly
“pat him on the shoulder”
Synonymsdab
Broaderstrike

adjective

2 sensesA word that describes or qualifies a noun.

1.
having only superficial plausibility
“glib promises”
“a slick commercial”
Synonymsglib slick
Similarplausible
2.
exactly suited to the occasion
“a pat reply”
Similarappropriate

adverb

1 senseA word that modifies a verb, adjective or other adverb.

1.
completely or perfectly
“he has the lesson pat”
“had the system down pat”

Other forms of pat

plural: pats·
past tense or participle: patted
present participle: patting

Forms marked · are formed by the regular rule rather than recorded in the source data. English keeps a few hundred irregulars and the rest follow the pattern, so the rule is right far more often than not — but it is a rule, and the mark says so.

Questions about pat

What does pat mean?: pat means "the sound made by a gentle blow". That is the primary sense; the word has 7 in total, listed in full on this page.
How many syllables are in pat?: pat has 1 syllable: pat. In IPA it is /ˈpæt/.
What is another word for pat?: Close synonyms include rap, tap, tap, dab, chuck. Each sense on this page lists its own synonyms, because a word with several meanings rarely has one substitute that works for all of them.
Is pat a common word?: pat is banded "Common" — everyday vocabulary in speech and writing. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.

Definitions, synonyms and semantic relations for pat come from Princeton University’s WordNet. The pronunciation comes from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. Commonness is measured against a corpus of everyday English. Full sources and licences.