BLEATING Synonyms: 92 Similar and Opposite Words

bleating

verb

present participle of bleat

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

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

Verb

That would drive up yields on French bonds, making borrowing to fund that spending even more expensive—and thus worsen the problem that the rioters are complaining about.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
Voters are not going to make legislators do a better job by grumbling and complaining.

— Scott Warren, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of complaining

Verb

Research on hitting objects does not support it as a way to reduce anger, and there are too few studies of screaming to conclude its effects.

— Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
Onstage, Slayyyter, whose real name is Catherine Grace Garner, is a force, constantly moving around the stage, thrashing her head along to the music and screaming the lyrics to her songs.

— Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of screaming

Verb

Moirologists, as they’re now known, were usually women, and their job was to display grief by crying, wailing, and tearing their hair.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
Families waiting for the aircraft carrier’s arrival in San Diego Bay described crying and losing sleep after hearing about the ship’s food shortages and tough conditions.

— Julie Watson, Chicago Tribune, 8 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

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
By the time Fowler gave up trying to put one in Carruthers, DiLiberato could hear her client moaning and see blood oozing out of his puncture wounds.

— Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 6 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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bleaters

bleating

bleats

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“Bleating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleating. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of bleating

verb

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