bleat

American  

[bleet] / blit /

verb (used without object)

• bleats,
  present (3rd person singular)
• bleated,
  past participle,  past
• bleating
  present participle

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

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verb (used with object)

• bleats,
  present (3rd person singular)
• bleated,
  past participle,  past
• bleating
  present participle

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

   He bleated his objections in a helpless rage.

2. to babble; prate.

noun

• bleats
  plural

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 British  

/ bliːt /

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

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noun

1. the characteristic cry of sheep, goats, and young calves

2. any sound similar to this

3. a weak complaint or whine

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bleater
  noun
• bleating
  noun
• outbleat
  verb (used with object)
• bleatingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bleats
  plural

Participles

• bleating
  present
• bleated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• bleat
  simple
• bleats
  simple
• have bleated
  perfect
• has bleated
  perfect
• am bleating
  progressive
• are bleating
  progressive
• is bleating
  progressive
• have been bleating
  perfect progressive
• has been bleating
  perfect progressive

Past

• bleated
  simple
• had bleated
  perfect
• was bleating
  progressive
• were bleating
  progressive
• had been bleating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will bleat
  simple
• will have bleated
  perfect
• will be bleating
  progressive
• will have been bleating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of bleat

before 1000; Middle English bleten, Old English blǣtan; cognate with Dutch blaten, Old High German blāzen; akin to Latin flēre to weep

Explanation

The sound a lamb or calf makes is a bleat. If you hear tiny bleats coming from your barn, you'll know the new baby goats were born at last. Many animals might bleat, though a bleat is a slightly weak, high-pitched sound, which is why it's typically made by young animals. When baby animals bleat, their mothers naturally go to them to feed or comfort them. You might also describe a human's cry or whine as a bleat, if it's particularly pitiful. The word comes from a Germanic root, and it's imitative of the sound itself.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bleat bleats bleated bleating

The following discusses minor spoilers from "The Sheep Detectives," but don't worry — it doesn't include one bleat about who the killer is.

From Salon ● May 17, 2026

Around him in the fenced-in yard, four goats bleat and 18 turkeys and more than 20 chickens peck at the grass.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 8, 2023

He showed me inside, and when I told him the place was nice, he let out a low, resentful bleat of laughter.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2023

There are those cute rodents that scurry about and delightful little donut-rolling sheep that exist only to bleat at you as you zip by them on Torrent.

From The Verge ● Mar. 11, 2022

When people bleat on about the trail being too crowded, what they mean is that the shelters are too crowded, and this is indubitably sometimes so.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Like all the other animals, he expresses himself through bleats, grunts and hugely dynamic facial expressions.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

A heavy quiet hangs over Theofilou's farm in the absence of the bleats from the sheep and the tinkle of their bells.

From Barron's ● Mar. 30, 2026

Sixty Nigerian dwarf goats are taking turns crashing their horns against wooden stalls while unleashing a cacophony of bleats, groans, and retching wails that make it nearly impossible to hold a conversation.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 7, 2023

One of the saddest moments in series finale “With Open Eyes” is when Kendall, on the verge of losing the board vote, bleats, “I’m the eldest boy.”

From Salon ● May 29, 2023

The cat must have sensed this general failing, for he now walked steadily beside the dogs, very close to his tottering old friend, and uttered plaintive worried bleats.

From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford

The animals bleated from behind a wooden fence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2025

One of the 19 animals who survived bleated as Raptis grabbed its face to reveal the burns on its ear.

From Reuters ● Sep. 3, 2023

I have bleated on about it a lot but that is the sort of thing that will make a significant difference to the England side.

From BBC ● Feb. 5, 2023

“It is not luxurious,” he cautioned visitors last week, before driving them down a dirt road to the farm, where sunlight squinted through the trees, baby goats bleated and turkeys bobbed in the shade.

From New York Times ● Nov. 30, 2022

Zvezda bleated, and Anya ran up to him.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

The bleating trumpet on the following “Before I Knew” recalls Mark Isham’s work on the horn when he was in Van Morrison’s band in the early ’80s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

With his inane bleating on television about taking over the world, Graham sounded unhinged.

From Salon ● Mar. 10, 2026

The neighborhoods that once bustled with traffic and pedestrians were like ghost towns shortly after sunrise, with a heavy silence blanketing the area except for the occasional bleating from a lone goat.

From Seattle Times ● May 2, 2024

At the top, a spacious bungalow stands next to a large shed, full of bleating sheep smothering the strains of pop music from a radio.

From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2024

Outside our high gates, I could hear goats bleating and cocks crowing and people yelling greetings across mud compound walls.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie