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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
  • When El Viejo del Costal (Michael Galvan) appeared onstage during a recent performance, draped in rough burlap, his movements liquid and slithering, a kid in the audience whimpered.
    — Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of whimper
Noun
  • Bel’s father took a long look at Conner’s painting, then let out a loud moan and wept.
    — Edwidge Danticat, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2026
  • 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
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
  • Children crowded the play areas, despite the damp, gray weather, shrieking with joy (and in one instance, crying).
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Several jurors cried after viewing autopsy photos of Hedgepeth, according to local media accounts.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of cry
Noun
  • Davis’s letter follows a separate ethics complaint filed by a conservative watchdog group to the Senate Select Committee on Ethics over Slotkin’s University of Chicago remarks, first reported by the Washington Examiner on Tuesday.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
  • According to the complaint, an internal review found that just five brokers controlled 6,345 Ticketmaster accounts holding 246,407 tickets.
    — James LaForge, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of complaint
Noun
  • The child studying English was met with loving lament, while the one pursuing computer science at Stanford University was the flag post of family pride.
    — Kamau Bobb October 21, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Prompted by Nan’s lament about their father’s empty casket and his own desire for posthumous reconciliation, Jay sets out to find his dad’s underwater remains near the edge of the canyon at Monastery Beach.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 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 26 Oct. 2026.

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