From Middle English bleten, from Old English blǣtan (“to bleat”), from Proto-West Germanic *blātijan, from Proto-Germanic *blētijaną (“to bleat”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₁- (“to howl, cry, bleat”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to make a loud noise”).
Cognate with Scots blete, bleit, West Frisian bâlte, blaaien, blêtsje (“to bleat”), Dutch blaten (“to bleat”), Low German bleten (“to bleat”), German blaßen, blässen (“to bleat”).
Meanings
(onomatopoeic) The characteristic cry of a sheep or a goat.
pt balido (cry of a sheep or a goat) · haw heʻehe (cry of a sheep or a goat) · yai вааст (cry of a sheep or a goat) · gd meig (cry of a sheep or a goat) · es balido (cry of a sheep or a goat) · ru бле́яние (cry of a sheep or a goat) · id embik (cry of a sheep or a goat) · la balatus (cry of a sheep or a goat) · io bramo (cry of a sheep or a goat) · sh blejanje (cry of a sheep or a goat) · yai ԝааст (cry of a sheep or a goat) · id embek (cry of a sheep or a goat) · nn mekring (cry of a sheep or a goat) · bg блеене (cry of a sheep or a goat) · eo beo (cry of a sheep or a goat) · ru бле́янье (cry of a sheep or a goat) · da mæh (cry of a sheep or a goat) · is jarmur (cry of a sheep or a goat) · cs mečení (cry of a sheep or a goat) · fi määintä (cry of a sheep or a goat) · ca bel (cry of a sheep or a goat) · tl me (cry of a sheep or a goat) · pl bek (cry of a sheep or a goat) · gd meigead (cry of a sheep or a goat) · fo jarming (cry of a sheep or a goat) · gd migead (cry of a sheep or a goat) · cs bek (cry of a sheep or a goat) · tr me (cry of a sheep or a goat) · tl mee (cry of a sheep or a goat) · fo jarman (cry of a sheep or a goat) · he חניבה (cry of a sheep or a goat) · ckb باڵاندن (cry of a sheep or a goat) · az mələmə (cry of a sheep or a goat) · fi määkiminen (cry of a sheep or a goat) · ar مَأْمَأَة (cry of a sheep or a goat) · he פעיה (cry of a sheep or a goat) · ang blǣt (cry of a sheep or a goat) · fr béguètement (cry of a sheep or a goat) · cs bečení (cry of a sheep or a goat) · haw māʻāʻā (cry of a sheep or a goat) · tr meleme (cry of a sheep or a goat) · sq blegërij (cry of a sheep or a goat) · de Blöken (cry of a sheep or a goat) · it belato (cry of a sheep or a goat) · nl geblaat (cry of a sheep or a goat) · fr bêlement (cry of a sheep or a goat) · ar ثُغَاء (cry of a sheep or a goat) · ang blǣtung (cry of a sheep or a goat) · fr bêlement (cry of a sheep or a goat) · el βέλασμα (cry of a sheep or a goat) · fo jarm (cry of a sheep or a goat) · ms embek (cry of a sheep or a goat) · yai бааст (cry of a sheep or a goat) · ckb باع (cry of a sheep or a goat) · grc βληχή (cry of a sheep or a goat) · sv bräkande (cry of a sheep or a goat)
From Middle English bleten, from Old English blǣtan (“to bleat”), from Proto-West Germanic *blātijan, from Proto-Germanic *blētijaną (“to bleat”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₁- (“to howl, cry, bleat”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to make a loud noise”).
Cognate with Scots blete, bleit, West Frisian bâlte, blaaien, blêtsje (“to bleat”), Dutch blaten (“to bleat”), Low German bleten (“to bleat”), German blaßen, blässen (“to bleat”).
Meanings
(onomatopoeic) Of a sheep, goat, or calf: to make its characteristic cry; of a human, to mimic this sound.
In the year 1633, the Bridget Nuns, near Xanthus, behaved like sheep, jumping about and bleating continuously. 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 99:
Near-synonym: baa (sheep and goat)
(derogatory, informal) Of a person, to complain.
The last thing we need is to hear them bleating to us about organizational problems.
(derogatory, informal) Of a person, to say things of little importance to the listener.
She came skipping to me just now, clapping her little hands and bleating about how very, very happy she was, dear Mrs Travers. The silly young geezer. I nearly conked her one with my trowel. 1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter XVII, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:
I can't have, for instance, Heracles come bleating to me at some future date, asking please can he have his bow back, and getting all stroppy when I refuse to tell him where it is. 2016, James Lovegrove, Age of Heroes, Solaris, →ISBN:
Near-synonyms: drone on, go on
Am I the odd one out for thinking this is quite alarming? That I should find it weird to see a 41-year-old influencer bleating about her “bleph”. 2025 October 11, Jo Ellison, “The forever 35 face of fashion”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 23:
he פעה (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · ltg vēkšt (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · fr rouspéter (informal: to complain) · ar مَأْمَأَ (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · io bramar (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · el βελάζω (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · nl blaten (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · it belare (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · tl mumee (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · gl bradar (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · da mæe (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · nn mekra (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · is jarma (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · es balar (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · fr bêler (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · fi päkättää (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · ru бле́ять (informal: to complain) · nl blèren (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · gd mèil (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · ru бле́ять (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · ca belar (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · ang blǣtan (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · az mələmək (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · cs bečet (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · id mengembik (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · cs mečet (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · tr melemek (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · nn breka (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · sh blejati (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · lv blēt (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · el βελάζω (informal: to complain) · grc βληχάομαι (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · he חנב (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · la bālō (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · id embik (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · cs fňukat (informal: to complain) · ar ثَغَا (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · gd meigeall (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · sv bräka (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · enm bleten (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · izh bääkkää (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · pl beczeć (informal: to complain) · izh bäkättää (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · nl mekkeren (informal: to complain) · fi määkiä (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · io bramar (informal: to complain) · bg блея (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · cs kňourat (informal: to complain) · da bræge (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · de blöken (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · fr bégueter (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · ms mengembek (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · fo jarma (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · eo bei (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · fr chevroter (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · pl beczeć (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · pt balir (to make the cry of a sheep or goat) · de blöken (informal: to complain) · fi marista (informal: to complain) · cy brefu (to make the cry of a sheep or goat)