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Synonyms

cold sweat

American  

noun

  1. a chill accompanied by perspiration, caused by fear, nervousness, or the like.

cold sweat British  

noun

  1. informal a bodily reaction to fear or nervousness, characterized by chill and moist skin

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
cold sweat Idioms  

  1. see in a cold sweat.

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.

Charles Green, Imran Ahmad, Derek Llambias, Barry Leach, David Somers - all these and more still have the capacity to make some on the current board break out in a cold sweat.

From BBC • Sep. 24, 2024

I awoke in a cold sweat, comforted by the realization that I was still at home.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2024

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

“Sorry,” he muttered, sitting up and feeling cold sweat trickling down behind his glasses.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

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.