bleat

American  

[bleet] / blit /

verb (used without object)

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)

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 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

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

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

Trombones bleat, a tuba bellows, drums are the heart.

From Salon • Nov. 8, 2025

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

On “Saturday Night Live,” Gilda Radner mocked Ms. Walters’ voice, which Vogue characterized as “a distinctive Boston bleat at once flat, hoarse and nasal.”

From New York Times • Dec. 31, 2022

Despite clarinet squeaks and the occasional bleat of a rogue saxophone, almost every student was smiling.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 18, 2022

And then it staggered and limped awkwardly over to Snarler, and it let out a high-pitched bleat as if it were in pain.

From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman