bleated; bleating; bleats
1
a
: to make the natural cry of a sheep or goat
also
: to utter a similar sound
b
: whimper
2
a
: to talk complainingly or with a whine
b
: blather
: to utter in a bleating manner
bleater
noun
1
: the cry of a sheep or goat
also
: a similar sound
the bleat of a cell phone
2
: a feeble outcry, protest, or complaint
Examples of bleat in a Sentence
Verb
The lamb bleated as I approached.
“But why can't I go?” she bleated.
The labor union is always bleating about the management.
Noun
a very patient, understanding person who accepts life's inconveniences without a bleat
Recent Examples on the Web
Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025
Image Image Image In song, Johnston had an uncanny ability to capture complicated feelings with a few incisive lines, bleated sweetly over chords pounded or strummed.
—Grayson Haver Currin Eli Durst, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Liz Kellar, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
This pageant of puppetry includes a flutter of butterflies, a goat with a plaintive bleat, a menagerie of wild animals and, at one point, a school of glowing fish.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bleat
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Verb
Hang out at the petting zoo for the best people watching
There’s nothing like seeing suburbanites who probably think meat comes from Erewhon fairies stand with terror in their eyes as bleating sheep and goats swarm them asking for pellets.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025
Image Image Image In song, Johnston had an uncanny ability to capture complicated feelings with a few incisive lines, bleated sweetly over chords pounded or strummed.
—Grayson Haver Currin Eli Durst, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Noun
The jarring bleat came across cellphones in Tennessee Monday morning grabbing peoples attention.
—Liz Kellar, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
This pageant of puppetry includes a flutter of butterflies, a goat with a plaintive bleat, a menagerie of wild animals and, at one point, a school of glowing fish.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bleat
Cite this Entry
“Bleat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bleat. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bleat
1 of 2 verb1
: to utter a bleat or similar sound
2
: to speak in a bleating way
bleat
2 of 2 noun
: the characteristic cry of a sheep or goat
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