sweat
to perspire, especially freely or profusely.
to exude moisture, as green plants piled in a heap or cheese.
to gather moisture from the surrounding air by condensation.
(of moisture or liquid) to ooze or be exuded.
Informal. to work hard.
Informal. to experience distress, as from anxiety.
(of tobacco) to ferment.
to excrete (perspiration, moisture, etc.) through the pores of the skin.
to exude in drops or small particles: The drying figs sweat tiny drops of moisture.
to send forth or get rid of with or like perspiration (often followed by out or off).
to wet or stain with perspiration.
to cause (a person, a horse, etc.) to perspire.
to cause to exude moisture, especially as a step in an industrial drying process: to sweat wood.
to earn, produce, or obtain (a result, promotion, compliment, etc.) by hard work.
to cause to lose (weight) as by perspiring or hard work: The hard week's work sweated five pounds off him.
to cause, force, or bring pressure on (a person, an animal, etc.) to work hard.
to employ (workers) at low wages, for long hours, or under other unfavorable conditions.
to labor with meticulous care over: The manufacturer of this beautiful car has really sweated the details.
Slang.
to obtain or extort (money) from someone.
to extort money from; fleece.
Slang. to subject to severe questioning; give the third degree to.
Metallurgy.
to heat (an alloy) in order to remove a constituent melting at a lower temperature than the alloy as a whole.
to heat (solder or the like) to melting.
to join (metal objects) by heating and pressing together, usually with solder.
to remove bits of metal from (gold coins) by shaking them against one another, as in a bag.: Compare clip1 (def. 4).
to cause (tobacco or cocoa) to ferment.
the process of sweating or perspiring.
that which is secreted from sweat glands; perspiration.
a state or a period of sweating.
hard work.
Informal. a state of anxiety or impatience.
a process of inducing sweating or perspiration, or of being sweated, as in medical treatment.
moisture exuded from something or gathered on a surface.
an exuding of moisture, as by a substance.
an inducing of such exudation, as in some industrial process.
a run given to a horse for exercise, as before a race.
sweats, Informal. sweatpants, sweatshirts, sweat suits, or the like.
Informal.
(of clothes) made to be worn for exercise, sports, or other physical activity.
made of the absorbent fabric used for such clothes: sweat dresses.
of, for, or associated with such clothes: the sweat look in sportswear.
sweat out, Informal.
to await anxiously the outcome of; endure apprehensively: The accused sweated out the jury's deliberation.
to work arduously at or toward: The director sweated out a camera angle with the cinematographer.
Idioms about sweat
no sweat, Informal. with no difficulty or problem.
sweat blood, Informal.
to be under a strain; work strenuously.
to wait anxiously; worry: He was sweating blood while his friend was being questioned by the police.
sweat bullets, Informal.
to sweat profusely.
to be apprehensive; worry.
sweat it, Informal.
to wait anxiously; endure the best way one can: There was no news of survivors, so all we could do was sweat it.
to worry; be apprehensive: You'll do OK, so don't sweat it.
Origin of sweat
1synonym study For sweat
word story For sweat
Other words from sweat
- sweatless, adjective
- non·sweat·ing, adjective
- un·sweat·ing, adjective
Words Nearby sweat
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use sweat in a sentence
Gyms operate in close quarters and in environments where you have heavy breathing, sweat and shared equipment — not the mix you want during a pandemic.
That’s why getting them to sniff sweat from cotton swabs is probably better, he says.
Viral scents? Dogs sniff out coronavirus in human sweat | Sharon Oosthoek | August 19, 2020 | Science News For StudentsMateescu and her team have examined skin biopsies and found that relatively large sweat glands allow Brahman to better regulate their internal body temperature.
Biotechnology Could Change the Cattle Industry. Will It Succeed? | Dyllan Furness | August 16, 2020 | Singularity HubSome devices may one day be powered by electric currents made from your sweat.
Using sweat, he points out, lets people harness energy that usually goes to waste.
Working up a sweat may one day power up a device | Carolyn Wilke | June 29, 2020 | Science News For Students
For nearly her entire life Beyoncé has been giving us her blood, sweat, and tears in her career.
Bow Down, Bitches: How Beyoncé Turned an Elevator Brawl Into a Perfect Year | Kevin Fallon | December 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd how much do you need to sweat to stave off the disease that kills 500,000 people every year?
Running 15 Miles a Week Could Slash Alzheimer’s Risk | DailyBurn | December 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe wipes beads of sweat from his brow, and extends his hand out towards the crowd.
Revenge of the Rock Nerds: TV on the Radio’s Long Road to ‘Seeds’ | Marlow Stern | December 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTsweat poured from underneath his helmet and down the thin points of his sandy blond hair.
I tried to relax too, but I felt my stomach tighten and I began to sweat.
A mist came before his eyes, the cold sweat stood upon his ashy face, his limbs failed him, and he sunk upon his knees.
Oliver Twist, Vol. II (of 3) | Charles DickensThese cigars rarely "char" in burning; certainly not, if made of good quality of tobacco and thoroughly sweat.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.The sweat of death was already on his brow as he reeled sideways, plunging blindly across the uneven tufts of grass.
Uncanny Tales | VariousAfter harvesting, the plants cure rapidly and on account of their small size rarely sweat.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.His next line—'To grunt and sweat under a weary life'—resembles ll.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems | Geoffrey Chaucer
British Dictionary definitions for sweat
/ (swɛt) /
the secretion from the sweat glands, esp when profuse and visible, as during strenuous activity, from excessive heat, etc; commonly also called perspiration: Related adjectives: sudatory, sudorific
the act or process of secreting this fluid
the act of inducing the exudation of moisture
drops of moisture given forth or gathered on the surface of something
informal a state or condition of worry or eagerness (esp in the phrase in a sweat)
slang drudgery or hard labour: mowing lawns is a real sweat!
mainly US an exercise gallop given to a horse, esp on the day of a race
slang, mainly British a soldier, esp one who is old and experienced
no sweat! (interjection) slang an expression suggesting that something can be done without problems or difficulty
to secrete (sweat) through the pores of the skin, esp profusely
(tr) to make wet or stain with sweat
to give forth or cause to give forth (moisture) in droplets: a sweating cheese; the maple sweats sap
(intr) to collect and condense moisture on an outer surface: a glass of beer sweating in the sun
(intr) (of a liquid) to pass through a porous surface in droplets
(of tobacco leaves, cut and dried hay, etc) to exude moisture and, sometimes, begin to ferment or to cause (tobacco leaves, etc) to exude moisture
(tr) to heat (food, esp vegetables) slowly in butter in a tightly closed saucepan
(tr) to join (pieces of metal) by pressing together and heating
(tr) to heat (solder) until it melts
(tr) to heat (a partially fused metal) to extract an easily fusible constituent
to shake together (coins, esp gold coins) so as to remove particles for illegal use
informal to suffer anxiety, impatience, or distress
informal to overwork or be overworked
(tr) informal to employ at very low wages and under bad conditions
(tr) informal to extort, esp by torture: to sweat information out of a captive
(intr) informal to suffer punishment: you'll sweat for this!
sweat blood informal
to work very hard
to be filled with anxiety or impatience
Origin of sweat
1Derived forms of sweat
- sweatless, adjective
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
Scientific definitions for sweat
[ swĕt ]
The salty liquid given off by sweat glands in the skin of mammals. As sweat evaporates, the skin cools, causing a reduction in body heat.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with sweat
In addition to the idioms beginning with sweat
- sweat blood
- sweat bullets
- sweat of one's brow
- sweat out
also see:
- by the sweat of one's brow
- in a cold sweat
- no problem (sweat)
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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