in a cold sweat

1. Feeling nervous or terrified, as in When I looked over the cliff, I broke out in a cold sweat. This expression refers to perspiring accompanied by a feeling of cold, which can be induced by acute fear as well as by fever. [Late 1700s]

Example Sentences

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.

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Davidson went through every single emotion from the moment he woke up at 01:30 in a cold sweat at having only four fit defenders, to the referee finally blowing the full-time whistle after about eight minutes of stoppage-time bedlam.

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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.

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

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“I swear I broke out in a cold sweat.”

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Related Words

• afraid 
• concerned 
• doubtful 
• jittery 
• jumpy 
• suspicious 
• uncertain 
• uneasy 
• uptight