bleat 1 of 2

noun

Definition of bleatnext
as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment a very patient, understanding person who accepts life's inconveniences without a bleat

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bleat

2 of 2

verb

ˈblēt How to pronounce bleat (audio)
1
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely as far as the slumlord was concerned, the unhappy tenants were just bleating about nothing

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to whimper
to utter feeble plaintive cries the baby bleated softly as he woke up, then smiled

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bleat
Noun
Late that afternoon, Flint was sitting quietly against his tree and using a Primos can call to make bleats. — Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 3 Dec. 2025 Lewis Black’s rant against protein Doritos was classic Gen-X complaining, the kind of thing Denis Leary used to bleat between music videos on MTV back when MTV had music videos and not just endless reruns of pre-unionization Ridiculousness. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
When Sneaky Snook in his mail truck happened upon the wreckage near the boundary of Meredith Downs, sheep were scattered along the roadside and the fence, bleating, dazed. — Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026 Here came Corgan, bleating a ballad that was genuinely moving, and people wanted to hear it. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bleat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleat
  1. whine
  2. complain
  3. whimper
  4. moan
  5. scream
  6. cry
  7. complaint
  8. lament
Noun
  • Our Chesapeake Bay Retriever dog saw them too and enthusiastically let out a small whine.
    — Kody Lostroh, Denver Post, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The mystic whine of Christine Ott and Mathieu Gabry’s score carries us into a hidden world of ancient Thai deities living inside the mountain’s caves and tunnels.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of whine
Verb
  • Yet publishers complained to me about a new consolidation of power.
    — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Many people took to social media to complain about not being able to order taxis or food delivery.
    — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of complain
Verb
  • Over the course of two hours, witnesses watched and listened as Christa Pike cried, whimpered and snored through Tennessee’s attempt to execute her.
    — Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2026
  • And then the child began to whimper, slowly waking from her sleep.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of whimper
Noun
  • Lori can hardly speak, relying on a young nurse who sits at her side to translate her low, pained moans.
    — Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Wails and moans of grief interspersed the chanting, until the small coffin was lowered into the grave.
    — Victoria Davies, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of moan
Verb
  • Bizarrely, Jones wasn't happy about it, immediately shoving Cullen's hand off him and starting a screaming match.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • In Whalefall, Abrams screams and thrashes with the same vulnerability, and a few more inner demons.
    — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of scream
Verb
  • Among them were a parent at her daughter’s school who recognized her on account of her voice alone and a dad on an airplane whose baby had been crying non-stop for over an hour.
    — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Another girl cried non-stop—possibly from fear and nervousness rather than sorrow.
    — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of cry
Noun
  • In response, the watchdog group Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint Wednesday with the State Bar of California asking it to investigate whether Zacharia misrepresented herself as a lawyer in violation of California law.
    — Jill Colvin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In response, the watchdog group Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint Wednesday with the State Bar of California asking them to investigate whether Zacharia misrepresented herself as a lawyer in violation of California law.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of complaint
Noun
  • Jax has a greyhound with its own wardrobe that’s probably worth more than my entire closet and is worried about only having her personality to lean on in the experiment — a hot girl’s lament.
    — Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Caroline Wahl concluded her statement with the wistful lament that all she was left with now was her double one—referring to her two new books heading the Spiegel Bestseller List.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of lament

Browse Nearby Words

bleary-eyed
bleat
bleated
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Cite this Entry

“Bleat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleat. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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