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Glite Dictionary
🤲 A soft touch 🤲 To touch gently 👣 A soft sound 💬 Too simple ✅ Perfectly correct
pat

pat

∞ 1.0
A quick gentle touch with the hand to show comfort or approval
  • noun
  • /pæt/
: palmadita
  • Delia gives her a supportive pat on the back, and Evan lets out a sigh of relief.
  • pat on the back
  • give a pat

Honestly, it's so good giving it a pat and can you see, can you hear?

Examples

  • His response is a pat on the shoulder and a tight smile.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Never a thank you or a pat on the back.

    Dragonslayer (1981)

  • And before she left me there, made sure to give me a nice pat on the head.

    Igby Goes Down (2002)

  • And with that, he gave me a pat on the back and sent me out the door.

    Academic text (1996)

  • The head nurse gave me a smile and a pat on the arm this morning.

    The Story of Seabiscuit (1949)

  • Really, give yourselves a pat on the back.

    Kicking & Screaming (2005)

  • "After this, he gave me a fatherly pat on the shoulder and went back into the faculty building.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Miss Potts leaned over and gave him a nice little pat on the arm.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Frank nods and gives the boy a reassuring pat on the back.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • After she scored the winning goal, her coach gave her a well-deserved pat on the back.

Synonyms

tap
vspat
66 1.0

A light touch or sound from a gentle hit

is a quick gentle stroke meant to show affection or comfort
dab
vspat
8 2.0

A light quick touch with your hand or a cloth

is a quick gentle touch used to show affection or comfort
arm pat
vspat
1.8

A gentle touch on the arm to show comfort or support

is a brief gentle touch anywhere showing affection or approval

Antonyms

to hit
∞ 1.0

To strike someone or something with force

slap
110 1.0

A quick sharp hit with the flat part of the hand

Idioms

to pat oneself on the back
  • Informal
28 6.9

To praise yourself too much for something you did

down pat
  • Informal
8 7.5

Learned so well you can do it without thinking

off pat
8.9

Learned so well that you can say or do it without thinking

Compounds

pat-down
47 4.9

A quick search of someone's clothes by touching to find hidden items

arm pat
1.8

A gentle touch on the arm to show comfort or support

How Gentle

to caress
55 3.4
stroke
12 2.5
pat
∞ 1.0
tap
66 1.0

Surface Forms

pat singular
pats plural

Etymology

Pat comes from the soft 'pat' sound you make when you lightly touch someone, so it means a quick, gentle touch that shows care, approval, or comfort.