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View synonyms for

bleat

[ bleet ]

verb (used without object)

  1. to utter the cry of a sheep, goat, or calf or a sound resembling such a cry.


verb (used with object)

  1. to give forth with or as if with a bleat:

    He bleated his objections in a helpless rage.

  2. to babble; prate.

noun

  1. the cry of a sheep, goat, or calf.
  2. any similar sound:

    the bleat of distant horns.

  3. foolish, complaining talk; babble:

    I listened to their inane bleat all evening.

bleat

/ ː /

verb

  1. intr (of a sheep, goat, or calf) to utter its characteristic plaintive cry
  2. intr to speak with any similar sound
  3. to whine; whimper
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the characteristic cry of sheep, goats, and young calves
  2. any sound similar to this
  3. a weak complaint or whine
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈ𲹳پԲ, nounadjective
  • ˈ𲹳ٱ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • 𲹳İ noun
  • 𲹳iԲ· adverb
  • dzܳb𲹳 verb (used with object)
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Word History and Origins

Origin of bleat1

before 1000; Middle English bleten, Old English ǣٲ; cognate with Dutch blaten, Old High German ; akin to Latin ڱŧ to weep
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Word History and Origins

Origin of bleat1

Old English ǣٲ ; related to Old High German , Dutch blaten , Latin ڱŧ to weep; see blare
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Those juxtaposed scenes of bleating livestock and skinned carcasses still leave an impression, but they’re just one strand in a tapestry of threads, none of them given more importance than the others.

From

The air thrums with the din of destruction — giant excavators clanking against steel beams, trucks bleating out warning signals as they back into position, green organic material whooshing out of hoses onto finished sites.

From

Rhapsodizing about condiments to a ship of starving workers, Ylfa may as well bleat, “Let them eat ketchup!”

From

It featured several swipes at his perceived enemies and wild bleating cheers from his favorite sycophants.

From

Donald Trump's endless first-term bleating about crime and how he was the only one who could bring an end to it was always a joke.

From

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