Rat out Meaning in English
expression
ˈɹæt/ /ˈaʊt
RAT-owt
ɹˈæt/ /ˈaʊt
rat-OWT
Definition
To tell someone in authority about another person's wrongdoing, usually in a secret or disloyal way.
Usage & Nuances
Very informal, often used in American English with a negative sense of betrayal or disloyalty. Common with 'to the police', 'to the teacher', etc. Synonymous with 'snitch on'. Not appropriate in formal contexts.
Spanish: delatar - traicionarPortuguese (BR): dedurar - entregarPortuguese (PT): chibar - trairChinese (Simplified): 告发 - 出卖Chinese (Traditional): 告發 - 出賣Hindi: चुगली करना - धोखा देनाArabic: يشي - يخبر عليهمBengali: ঠেকা দেওয়া - ফাঁস করে দেওয়াRussian: настучать - сдать (от сленга)Japanese: チクるVietnamese: mách lẻo - tố cáo (lén lút)Korean: 고자질하다 - 밀고하다Turkish: ispiyonlamak - gammazlamakUrdu: چغلی کھانا - راز فاش کرناIndonesian: mengadu - membocorkan (secara rahasia)
Example Sentences
He ratted out his friend to the teacher.
basic
Don't rat out your classmates.
basic
She was scared to rat out her boss.
basic
Who ratted us out to the principal?
natural
I wouldn't rat out my brother, no matter what.
natural
Someone ratted out the whole group to the cops last night.
natural