perspire
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of perspire
1640–50; < Latin perspīrāre to blow constantly (said of the wind), breathe through; in New Latin: to sweat imperceptibly. See per-, inspire
Explanation
To perspire is to sweat: to excrete perspiration through the pores in your skin. Whenever little drops of moisture appear on your skin, you're perspiring or sweating. People sweat when they're nervous, when it's hot out, and when they're doing a lot of exercise. If you watch people playing a strenuous sport like basketball, they will be perspiring. Perspiring is one way your body cools itself off, so sweating is a good thing, even though it can make you feel gross. Some animals — like dogs — can't perspire, so it's harder for them to cool off.
Vocabulary lists containing perspire
"Marionettes, Inc." by Ray Bradbury
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Novel Study: Fahrenheit 451, Part II
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The Fighting Ground
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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.
Like gyms, such studios — Perspire, HigherDose, SaunaBar, Glow — have had to restrict customers, or close altogether, during the pandemic.
From New York Times • Dec. 12, 2020
Perspire is a word invented by blue-veined little ladies who spoke of limbs instead of arms and legs, boy cows instead of bulls.
From Time Magazine Archive
When Hands Perspire and soil the sewing material, try bathing them with strong alum water.
From Fowler's Household Helps Over 300 Useful and Valuable Helps About the Home, Carefully Compiled and Arranged in Convenient Form for Frequent Use by Fowler, Arthur L.
Perspire, Sweat While all mankind belongs to the animal kingdom, and no person can feel offended at being called an animal, yet society observes certain distinctions in speaking of men and of beasts.
From Slips of Speech : a Helpful Book for Everyone Who Aspires to Correct the Everyday Errors of Speaking by Bechtel, John Hendricks
Perspire, per-spīr′, v.i. and v.t. to emit or to be emitted, as moisture, through the pores of the skin: to sweat.—n.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various
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.
