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.
As someone who wakes up in a cold sweat every night, terrified by the looming possibility that “The Devil Wears Prada 2” may be awful, trust me: Sometimes it’s better to leave well enough alone.
From Salon ● Mar. 26, 2026
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
"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
I woke up early the next morning in a cold sweat.
From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks
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.
