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
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 Busting out a box of instruments that turned the room into a riot of noise, Sheeran then encourage each student to share their unique sound into the mic, from saxophone bleats to fart sounds. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 22 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
  • Meanwhile, turbo noise fills the cabin alongside the odd electric motor whine.
    — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • That is, until you are subjected to the relentless whine of mosquitoes.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 30 June 2026
Definition of whine
Verb
  • Our Good Question email inbox is filled right now with several people complaining about hearing swear words in political ads.
    — Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • After the guest complained, Marshall says she was called on the carpet.
    — Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of complain
Verb
  • Pancho, a heavy-bodied Airedale, whimpered and rubbed against my leg with the expectation of excitement to come.
    — Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 15 July 2026
  • That admission led to gasps and whimpering by several courtroom observers.
    — Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 11 June 2026
Definition of whimper
Noun
  • In the decades after his death, Johnson’s loose playing and harrowing moans set American music on a path that would encompass Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, even Nas.
    — Steven Johnson, Washington Post, 14 July 2026
  • Sweet tweets, soft moans, the distant caw of a shore bird piloting toward the sea, spirited and hopeful, daylight already breaking through.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Definition of moan
Verb
  • As All In Build Continues Part of the explanation is that the inflation side of the mandate has been screaming louder.
    — Jason Kirsch, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The audience screams in response, and Scovel scolds them again but this time with a smile.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of scream
Verb
  • Ellison was found lying on her bed after her roommates first discovered her 13-month-old child crying on a couch in the living room, according to Glowacz’s arrest report.
    — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • When Maybelle Blair, seated like a queen in a wheelchair, threw a ceremonial opening pitch on a misty August night, there might have been some crying in baseball.
    — Kendra Nordin Beato, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of cry
Noun
  • By doing it this way, the kids had to put some thought into which items meant the most to them, and there were no complaints afterward.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Arulampalam, who knew nothing of the campaign, received complaints from residents Monday and on Tuesday the citation was given with orders to clean up.
    — Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of complaint
Noun
  • Life begins as a fanfare — a regal entry heralded by brass — and ends as a solo cello lament and the serene acceptance of death as sung by a choir.
    — Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Her laments are now laced with fury, as genocidal wars and murderous technologies join global warming in the twenty-first century’s third decade.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 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 17 Aug. 2026.

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