To bleat means to make the high-pitched, wavering cry of a sheep or goat. If you've ever visited a farm, you've probably heard sheep bleating across the pasture, calling to each other or to the farmer. The sound is somewhere between a cry and a call: “Baa-aa-aa!” Baby goats, called kids, bleat when they want their mother's attention.

The word also describes human speech that sounds whiny, weak, or complaining. If someone bleats about how unfair their homework is, they keep going on and on in an annoying, helpless-sounding way. Picture the difference between calmly explaining a problem and whining about it without trying to fix anything. When used this way, bleat isn't a compliment. It suggests someone is complaining without strength or purpose, like a sheep calling out without knowing why.

The noun form is also bleat: “We heard the bleat of sheep in the distance.”