cold sweat
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of cold sweat
First recorded in 1700–10
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
St James' Park was in a cold sweat on the final day as Newcastle lost to Everton, but the party started after Manchester United's controversial win against Aston Villa.
From BBC ● May 26, 2025
I woke in a cold sweat of reality.
From Salon ● Dec. 14, 2023
"Even when I realise I am not in Kuta traffic, I can shake in fear, break out in a cold sweat and feel really scared."
From Reuters ● Oct. 11, 2022
I have panic attacks about being the sole breadwinner and I wake up in a cold sweat thinking about what happens if I were to die or become ill and am unable to work!
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2022
But I remembered at the last moment in a flash of cold sweat.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
