at bat: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal, Sports
Quick answer
What does “at bat” mean?
A turn or opportunity for a batter to hit the ball in baseball or softball.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A turn or opportunity for a batter to hit the ball in baseball or softball.
A chance or opportunity to perform or achieve something, often used metaphorically outside of sports.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is American in origin and is strongly associated with baseball, which is less popular in the UK. In British English, it is understood primarily in sports reporting or American cultural contexts.
Connotations
In American English, it carries strong cultural associations with baseball, teamwork, and opportunity. In British English, it may sound distinctly American or like sports jargon.
Frequency
Much more frequent in American English. In British English, it is a low-frequency term, mostly encountered in contexts discussing American sports or in metaphorical use influenced by American business culture.
Grammar
How to Use “at bat” in a Sentence
have an at batget an at battake an at batrecord an at batduring an at batVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used metaphorically: 'Every sales call is another at bat to close the deal.'
Academic
Rare, except in sports science or sociology papers analyzing baseball.
Everyday
Primarily in sports conversations or when using the sports metaphor: 'You'll get your at bat tomorrow in the meeting.'
Technical
In baseball statistics: 'He had three hits in four official at bats.'
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “at bat”
- Using 'at bat' as a verb (e.g., 'He will at bat next'). Correct: 'He will be at bat next' or 'He will take his at bat next'.
- Confusing 'at bat' (noun phrase) with 'up to bat' (phrase meaning 'next in line').
- Using it in continuous form: 'He is at batting' is incorrect.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a two-word noun phrase, commonly hyphenated ('at-bat') when used attributively before a noun, as in 'an at-bat opportunity'.
Yes, primarily in American English, it is used metaphorically to mean any opportunity to perform or try to achieve something, especially in business or competitive contexts.
In baseball statistics, a 'plate appearance' is every time a batter comes to the plate. An 'at bat' is a specific type of plate appearance that counts towards the player's batting average (excludes walks, sacrifices, hit-by-pitch).
The standard plural is 'at bats' (e.g., 'He had three at bats'). The hyphenated form 'at-bats' is also very common.
A turn or opportunity for a batter to hit the ball in baseball or softball.
At bat is usually informal, sports in register.
At bat: in British English it is pronounced /ət ˈbæt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ət ˈbæt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “get a turn at bat”
- “step up to the plate (related)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a BATter standing AT the plate, waiting for his turn – that's his AT BAT.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS A BASEBALL GAME / AN OPPORTUNITY IS A TURN AT HITTING
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'at bat' used literally?