# shat

/ʃˈæt/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/shat
Updated: 2026-05-28

## Definition

the past tense of 'shit'. You use it to say someone went to the bathroom or to describe making a big mess of a situation.

For teachers: the past tense and past participle of 'shit'. Refers to the act of defecating or, metaphorically, to ruining a situation through poor judgment.

## Examples

- The bird shat on the hood of my car.
- He realized he had shat the bed regarding the contract negotiations by mentioning the price too early.
- The stray cat shat in the corner of the garage, leaving a pungent reminder of its overnight visit that took hours to properly clean.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He has shat the door" but "He has shut the door" — Learners may confuse the vulgar past tense 'shat' with the common verb 'shut' due to similar vowel sounds.

## Usage notes

- The verb is the irregular past tense form; 'shitted' is also used but is less common in many dialects.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.