bat
gb/bˈæt/ us/bˈæt/
A2
English
~ 7500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Small flying night mammal
A small animal that flies at night, with thin wings made of skin, not feathers.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse bats with birds and say things like "bats are birds". Bats are mammals, not birds, because they have fur and give birth to live young.
Synonyms
flying mammal (More general description; not a standard dictionary synonym but explains the type of animal.)
Antonyms
bird (Contrasts with bats as a different type of flying animal with feathers and beak.)
Collocations
fruit bat
|vampire bat
|bat colony
|bat wings
|bat habitat
Themes
animals
|nature
|science
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Bats use echolocation to find insects in the dark.
- We saw a bat hanging upside down in the cave.
- As the sun went down, bats started flying over the field.
Learner examples
- A bat flew out of the old house.
- Many bats sleep during the day.
- Some people are afraid of bats.
Noun
A2
entity
2
Stick used to hit a ball
A long piece of wood or metal that a player holds to hit a ball in sports like baseball or cricket.
Usage pattern:
a bat for [a sport]
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse "bat" and "stick" in sports contexts. In baseball and cricket, use "bat", not "stick" (say "a baseball bat", not "a baseball stick").
Synonyms
club (Similar shape, but more general; not limited to sports, and often heavier.)
|
paddle (Used for some sports (e.g. table tennis), but usually flatter and broader than a typical bat.)
Antonyms
ball (The object that is hit by the bat; functionally opposite in many sports contexts.)
Collocations
baseball bat
|cricket bat
|swing a bat
|wooden bat
|aluminum bat
Themes
sports
|games
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He bought a new baseball bat for the season.
- The cricket bat slipped out of her hands when she swung.
- You should never hit someone with a bat.
Learner examples
- She holds the bat with both hands.
- This bat is too heavy for me.
- He forgot his bat at home.
Verb
B1
action
3
Hit or try to hit a ball
To hit or try to hit a ball with a bat in sports like baseball or cricket.
Usage pattern:
[someone] bats [in a position]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "He is hitter" instead of "He is batting" or "He is a batter". Use "bat" as a verb for the action, and "batter" as the noun for the person.
Synonyms
hit (More general; does not always involve a bat or a formal sport.)
Antonyms
pitch (In baseball, describes the opposite role: throwing the ball instead of hitting it.)
|
bowl (In cricket, describes the role of delivering the ball, opposite to batting.)
Collocations
bat first
|bat third
|bat cleanup
|bat .300
|bat left-handed
Themes
sports
|games
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She usually bats third in the lineup.
- He batted the ball deep into left field.
- Our team will bat first after the coin toss.
Learner examples
- He will bat after you.
- She batted the ball over the fence.
- In cricket, two players bat at the same time.
Verb
B2
action
4
Hit something lightly or quickly
To hit or push something in a quick, light way, often with your hand or something you hold.
Usage pattern:
[someone] bats [something] [direction]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use only "hit" in these situations, which can sound too strong. Use "bat" when the movement is light or playful, especially with things like flies, balloons, or toys.
Synonyms
swat (Often stronger or more forceful, especially for killing insects.)
|
tap (Suggests a very light touch, often softer than "bat".)
Antonyms
catch (Instead of hitting something away, you stop and hold it.)
Collocations
bat something away
|bat something aside
|bat at a ball
|bat a fly away
Themes
daily life
|movement
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He batted the mosquito away from his face.
- The cat batted the toy across the floor.
- She batted the question aside and changed the subject.
Learner examples
- The baby bats the ball with her hand.
- He bats the fly away from his food.
- The cat bats the small toy under the sofa.
unknown
B2
action
5
Open and close eyes quickly
To quickly open and close your eyes, often to show a feeling or to get someone’s attention.
Usage pattern:
[someone] bats [their] eyes
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "bat" here means the animal. In this expression, it is a verb and only means to move your eyes or eyelashes, not anything about the animal.
Synonyms
blink (Neutral, basic word for opening and closing the eyes once or many times; does not suggest flirting or style.)
Antonyms
stare (To look for a long time without blinking much.)
Collocations
bat your eyelashes
|bat an eyelid
|without batting an eye
Themes
body
|emotions
|communication
Examples
- She batted her eyelashes at the waiter and asked for a free dessert.
- He didn’t even bat an eyelid when he heard the shocking news.
- The child batted his eyes sleepily as he tried to stay awake.
Learner examples
- She bats her eyelashes to be cute.
- He did not bat an eye when he lost the game.
- The boy bats his eyes because he is tired.
Noun
informal
C1
entity
6
Unpleasant or strange woman
An unkind, informal word for a woman who seems rude, strange, or annoying, often an older woman.
Usage pattern:
an old bat
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "bat" always means the animal or the sports object. In this informal meaning, it is an insult for a woman, and should be used very carefully, usually not at all.
Synonyms
hag (Also insulting and often suggests an ugly or frightening older woman.)
|
crone (Insulting; often used in stories or jokes about very old, unpleasant women.)
Antonyms
lady (Polite, respectful word for a woman, opposite in tone to this insult.)
Collocations
old bat
|silly old bat
|mean old bat
|crazy bat
Themes
people
|insults
|relationships
|communication
Examples
- He called his strict neighbor an old bat, which was very rude.
- She can be a bit of a bat when she’s in a bad mood.
- I felt sorry for the woman after hearing everyone call her a mad old bat.
Learner examples
- Calling someone an old bat is not polite.
- He was angry and called his teacher a bat.
- She is not a bat; she is just tired.
Grammar
Dictionary form
bat
IPA
GB/bˈæt/
US/bˈæt/
Syllables & stress
bat (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (bat)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: bat
- Plural: bats
Verb
- Base: bat
- 3rd Person Singular: bats
- Present Participle: batting
- Past: batted
Word family
Forms
bats
noun
batting
verb
batted
verb
Core family
batter
noun B1
Advanced or less common
batsman
noun
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: batting Verb
- Irregular past: batted Verb
Expressions
at bat
1/ˈæt bˈæt/
fixed phrase
technical
Turn trying to hit in baseball
In baseball, the time when a player is hitting and trying to hit the ball.
Examples
- He got a hit in his first at bat.
- The next player is now at bat.
- She went to bat three times and got two hits.
bat around
1/bˈæt ɚˈaʊnd/
phrasal verb
informal
Discuss ideas casually
To talk about different ideas or plans in a relaxed way, without deciding anything.
Examples
- Let’s bat around some ideas for the new logo.
- We batted the plan around for a while but didn’t decide.
- They spent an hour batting around possible solutions.
bat something away
1/bˈæt sˈʌmθɪŋ əwˈeɪ/
phrasal verb
Hit away or reject
To hit something away with your hand or an object, or to quickly refuse an idea, question, or offer.
Examples
- He batted the ball away from the goal.
- She batted away questions about her private life.
- The company batted away the critics’ complaints.
bat your eyelashes
1/bˈæt jˈʊɹ ˈaɪlˌæʃɪz/
idiom
Flirt by moving eyelashes
To move your eyelashes up and down in a cute or playful way, usually to get someone’s attention or to get what you want.
Examples
- She just batted her eyelashes at the guard and he let her in.
- You can’t just bat your eyelashes and expect everything to be free.
- He batted his eyelashes innocently, pretending he had done nothing wrong.
go to bat for someone
1/ɡˈoʊ tə bˈæt fɚ sˈʌmwˌʌn/
idiom
Defend or support someone
To support or defend someone, especially when it is difficult or risky for you.
Examples
- My manager really went to bat for me during the salary talks.
- You need friends who will go to bat for you when times are hard.
- The lawyer went to bat for her client in court.
have bats in the belfry
1/hˈæv bˈæts ˈɪn ðə bˈɛlfɹi/
idiom
informal
Be crazy or very strange
To be crazy, very strange, or not thinking normally.
Examples
- People said the old man had bats in the belfry.
- If you think that plan will work, you’ve got bats in the belfry.
- She acts like she has bats in the belfry sometimes.
like a bat out of hell
1/lˈaɪk ə bˈæt ˈaʊt əv hˈɛl/
idiom
informal
Very fast and wildly
Moving very fast and often in a wild or uncontrolled way.
Examples
- As soon as the bell rang, the students ran out like a bat out of hell.
- The car took off like a bat out of hell.
- He left the meeting like a bat out of hell when he saw his ex.
not bat an eye
1/nˈɑt bˈæt ən ˈaɪ/
idiom
Show no sign of surprise
To show no surprise, fear, or other emotion on your face, even when something strange or bad happens.
Examples
- She didn’t bat an eye when they told her the bad news.
- He lied to the police without batting an eye.
- When the price doubled, the rich customers didn’t bat an eye.
old bat
1/ˈoʊld bˈæt/
fixed phrase
informal
Unpleasant old woman (insult)
An unkind, insulting way to talk about an older woman who seems rude or strange.
Examples
- The kids called the strict neighbor an old bat.
- Don’t be such an old bat; come and have fun with us.
- He felt bad after calling his aunt an old bat.
right off the bat
1/ɹˈaɪt ˈɔf ðə bˈæt/
idiom
informal
Immediately or at once
Immediately; at the very beginning of something.
Examples
- Right off the bat, he asked how much money I made.
- We liked the restaurant right off the bat.
- She made a good impression right off the bat.
take a bat to something
1/tˈeɪk ə bˈæt tə sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
informal
Hit something hard with a bat
To attack or destroy something by hitting it many times with a bat or similar object.
Examples
- Someone took a bat to his car in the parking lot.
- He was so angry he wanted to take a bat to the printer.
- The vandals took a bat to the shop windows.
as blind as a bat
1/ˈæz blˈaɪnd ˈæz ə bˈæt/
idiom
informal
Having very bad eyesight
Having very bad eyesight; not able to see well.
Examples
- Without my glasses I'm as blind as a bat.
- Without my glasses I’m as blind as a bat.
- He's as blind as a bat when it comes to fashion trends.
- He’s as blind as a bat when it comes to reading small print.
- She joked that she was as blind as a bat in the dark room.