perspiration

American  

[pur-spuh-rey-shuhn] / ˈpɜr spəˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

• perspirations
  plural

1. a salty, watery fluid secreted by the sweat glands of the skin, especially when very warm as a result of strenuous exertion; sweat.

2. the act or process of perspiring.

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perspiration British  

/ ˌpɜːspəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of insensibly eliminating fluid through the pores of the skin, which evaporates immediately

2. the sensible elimination of fluid through the pores of the skin, which is visible as droplets on the skin

3. the salty fluid secreted through the pores of the skin; sweat

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Synonym Usage

Perspiration, sweat refer primarily to moisture exuded by animals and people from the pores of the skin. Perspiration is often regarded as the more polite word, and is often used overfastidiously by those who consider sweat coarse; but sweat is a strong word and in some cases obviously more appropriate: a light perspiration; the sweat of his brow. Sweat is always used when referring to animals or objects: Sweat drips from a horse's flanks. It may also be used metaphorically of objects: Sweat forms on apples after they are gathered.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• perspirations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of perspiration

First recorded in 1605–15, in sense “a breathing through”; 1620–30 for current senses; from New Latin perspīrātiōn- (stem of perspīrātiō ) “imperceptible sweating,” literally, “a breathing through.” See perspire, -ation

Explanation

Perspiration is a polite name for "sweat." Perspiration is what makes you dread gym class and what keeps deodorant manufacturers in business. Let's face it, sweat is kind of gross — it drips down your face and can even make your body smell badly. But, it doesn't sound so bad if you refer to it as perspiration, does it? Still, perspiration means that salty fluid secreted by your sweat glands, when your body is hot. Perspiration can also be used to mean the process of sweating.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

perspiration perspirations

"There are even some rather moving, rather touching details -- namely, its silk lining shows clear signs of perspiration," he said.

From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026

When she hits, she’s hilarious: An extended bit about leaving a puddle of her perspiration on a piece of gym equipment involves James Cameron developing a submersible to get to the bottom of it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 11, 2025

The polygraph exam uses a device strapped to a subject’s body to measure physiological responses like heart rate, blood pressure and perspiration as the person answers yes-or-no questions.

From Salon ● Nov. 18, 2025

So, could this all really signal the end of the once-widespread taboo about talking about perspiration?

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2025

His fingers were slick with perspiration, the dial slipping between them.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

Fritzing was so conscious of it that he used to break out into perspirations whenever Priscilla was with him in public, and his very perspirations were conspicuous.

From The Princess Priscilla's Fortnight by Elizabeth

There is usually little fever, or at most only a slight heat and thirst towards evening, with occasional flushings of the face; and still more rarely, profuse perspirations in the latter part of the night.

From The Young Man's Guide by Alcott, William A. (William Andrus)

I had been bored with it some weeks—with nocturnal burnings and morning perspirations; but I am quite well again, which I attribute to having had neither medicine nor doctor thereof.

From Life of Lord Byron, Vol. 4 With His Letters and Journals by Moore, Thomas

Indeed, it is regarded as a childish malady, and is cured by a diet of melons and by profuse perspirations.

From Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan, Volume I (of 2) Including a Summer in the Upper Karun Region and a Visit to the Nestorian Rayahs by Bird, Isabella L. (Isabella Lucy)

Thunderbolt stones were said to sweat during a storm, which was not thought a more wonderful "fact" than the perspirations streaming out of glass windows "in winter when the stove is hot."

From The International Monthly, Volume 5, No. 4, April, 1852 by Various