Brat
what it means
Defined by Charli XCX as the girl who is a bit messy, says dumb things sometimes, and is honest about it. "Brat summer" became a whole cultural moment in 2024.
A messy, confident, unpolished attitude — embracing imperfection rather than curated perfection.
the origin story
From Charli XCX's 2024 album Brat and her own description of the aesthetic, amplified by the album's distinctive lime-green cover.
It defined a season, spawning the "brat green" colour trend and countless imitations. Collins Dictionary named "brat" its word of the year for 2024, citing the shift from an insult meaning a spoiled child to a self-applied badge of confident messiness.
in the wild
She left the party at 4am and turned up to brunch anyway.
Extremely brat.
Why is everything lime green suddenly?
Brat summer. It's a whole thing.
how to use it
- Describing confident, unpolished behaviour
- Discussing 2024 pop culture
- Aesthetic commentary
- In the older sense of a spoiled child, without clarifying
- Professionally
- Where the music reference won't be understood
related terms
receipts
Community feedback
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Glow-Down
The opposite of a glow-up — appearing to have declined rather than improved.
Slept On
Underrated — overlooked despite being genuinely good.
Hot Girl Summer
A season spent being confident, unbothered and out enjoying yourself.
Cheat Code
A trick or advantage that makes something much easier than it should be.