VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

frat bro

noun·EverydayinformaldisapprovingAmerican

Last updated

UK/ˈfræt ˌbrəʊ/
US/ˈfræt ˌbroʊ/
Usage warning: this word is disapproving. It shows a negative opinion, so take care with who and what you use it about.

Meanings

  1. nouncountableinformaldisapproving

    A young man in a college fraternity who is stereotyped as loud, boastful and focused on drinking parties and showing off.

    Grammar: Has a plural, frat bros; often mocking.

    Patterns

    • a frat bro type

    The frat bros cheered loudly outside the stadium.

    He dressed like a frat bro in pastel shorts and a baseball cap.

    Some students complained that frat bros dominated the party scene.

  2. nouncountableinformalhumorous

    Any young man whose loud, macho style reminds people of fraternity stereotypes, whether or not he belongs to one.

    Grammar: Figurative, and used to describe attitude or style.

    The gym was full of frat bros comparing weights.

    Her brother turned into a total frat bro after his first semester.

    The movie's villain is a classic frat bro.

Word forms

pluralfrat bros

Common combinations

typical frat bro
With his loud laugh, he was a typical frat bro.
frat bro culture
Critics blame frat bro culture for reckless behavior.
stereotypical frat bro
The film's stereotypical frat bro is easy to dislike.
frat bro humor
The comedy relies on crude frat bro humor.
act like a frat bro
He tends to act like a frat bro when his friends are around.

Synonyms and how they differ

frat boy
Frat boy is nearly identical but slightly older and a bit less jokey than frat bro.
bro
Bro is a general friendly term for a young man, whereas frat bro is specifically tied to a stereotype.
jock
Jock stresses an athletic type, while frat bro stresses fraternity party culture.
party animal
Party animal describes someone who loves partying, without any link to fraternities.

Word family

fraternity noun
a social club for male college students
frat noun
informal short form of fraternity
bro noun
informal word for a male friend
brotherhood noun
the bond among members

Commonly confused: frat bro or fraternity brother?

frat bro vs fraternity brother

A fraternity brother is a neutral term for a member of a fraternity, while frat bro adds a mocking stereotype.

Practice

Calling someone a frat bro usually suggests that the person is ____.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “frat bro”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words