bleating

verb

present participle of bleat
1
as in complaining
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 whimpering
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 bleating However, the animals did survive and seemed set on helping their family survive too, repeatedly bleating and stomping on the debris covering the bunker. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 21 May 2026 Players started bleating, serenading James with sounds deserving of the GOAT — greatest of all time. — Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026 Justin Fletcher returns as the bleating voice of Shaun and the flock, joined by John Sparkes, and Kate Harbour as voice talent in the dialog-free feature. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026 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 The man sitting in front of me—rugged, with a fine Rockwell Kent profile—tips forward and begins to emit gentle, bleating snores. — James Parker, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026 And when her furry black-and-white friend follows her — bleating at her heels, eager for more affection — Kusimayu keeps walking. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 Dec. 2025 But working with Stockholm Drain Gang veteran Bladee on the remix turns the song into a hyper-pop boss fight, with frenetic and bleating synths piling on the duo’s vocals. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleating
  1. complaining
  2. whimpering
  3. screaming
  4. crying
  5. whining
  6. moaning
  7. muttering
Verb
  • That March, a seventy-year-old patient from a wealthy Cypriot family, Evie Lanitis, arrived at BioMed, complaining of a host of minor maladies, including bursitis in her toes, dental pain, and digestive issues.
    — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • This was the first opportunity, Ubovic said, to do something tangible, instead of just complaining.
    — Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of complaining
Verb
  • That admission led to gasps and whimpering by several courtroom observers.
    — Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 11 June 2026
  • As the timer passed seven minutes, Steve Eckert exhorted a whimpering young man to dunk his head underwater.
    — Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of whimpering
Verb
  • Warren joked, as several audience members had been screaming to hear his hit during his set.
    — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Four pledges at a Texas State University fraternity were arrested on Tuesday after an 18-year-old was allegedly forced into a pickup truck and heard screaming, according to police.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of screaming
Verb
  • Kids like Emma, crying at recess after getting out in the game of foursquare.
    — Hannah Harshe, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The footage shows Koya began crying when Sterling put her on the ground.
    — Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of crying
Verb
  • While the left spent all week whining about Sophie Cunningham's hat and firing squad best practices, us PATRIOTS were biding our time, keeping our heads down, and grinding towards another weekend.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Dogs may actually improve our sleep habits by forcing us to adjust to consistent bedtime schedules — as anyone with a sleepy, whining dog can confirm.
    — Gina Vivinetto, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of whining
Verb
  • It's been a big few months for Austin Abrams moaning and groaning his way through some of the worst situations imaginable.
    — Megan McCluskey, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • For a cold moment the silence locked a grip on our table, though it was broken, at the edges, by the golf commentators moaning and harrumphing, Rory McIlroy having had a canary on a seventeenth fairway somewhere this championship Sunday.
    — Kevin Barry, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of moaning
Verb
  • Max Muncy, whose home run expanded the Dodgers’ lead, was still muttering about the heat nearly 15 minutes after escaping into air conditioning.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • When John finally reunites with Hal (who charges the ring against the lantern while quickly muttering his oath), the frustrated protégé immediately confronts his teacher with all the suspicions he was meant to keep secret.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of muttering

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Cite this Entry

“Bleating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleating. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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