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sweat Definition

sweat (swet)

intransitive verb sweat or sweat′ed, sweat′·ing

  1. to give forth a characteristic salty moisture through the pores of the skin; perspire
    1. to give forth moisture in droplets on its surface, as a ripening cheese does
    2. to collect and condense water in droplets on its surface, as a glass of ice water does in a warm room
  3. to ferment: said of tobacco leaves, etc.
  4. to come forth in drops through pores or a porous surface; ooze
  5. to work hard enough to cause sweating
  6. Informal to suffer distress, anxiety, etc.

Etymology: ME sweten < OE swætan < swat, sweat, akin to Ger schweissen < IE base *sweid-, to sweat > Gr hidros, L sudor, sweat

transitive verb

    1. to give forth (moisture) through pores or a porous surface
    2. to collect and condense (moisture) on the surface
  2. to cause to sweat, or perspire, as by drugs, exercise, heat, etc.
  3. to cause to give forth moisture; esp., to ferment to sweat tobacco leaves
  4. to make wet with sweat, or perspiration
  5. to heat (a metal) in order to extract an easily fusible constituent
    1. to heat (solder) until it melts
    2. to unite (metal parts) by heating at the point of contact
  7. to remove particles of metal from (a coin) illegally, as by abrading
    1. to cause to work so hard as to sweat; overwork
    2. to cause (employees) to work long hours at low wages under poor working conditions; exploit (workers)
  9. ☆ Informal
    1. to get information from by torture or by long, grueling questioning; subject to the third degree
    2. to get (information) in this way
  10. Slang to try hard or too hard to get or achieve

noun

  1. the clear, alkaline, salty liquid given forth in drops through the pores of the skin; perspiration
  2. moisture given forth or collected in droplets on the surface of something
    1. the act or condition of sweating or being sweated
    2. an artificially induced sweating
  4. a condition of eagerness, anxiety, impatience, etc.
  5. hard work; drudgery
  6. exercise, as a run, given a horse before a race
  7. clothes worn for exercising, warming up, etc.; specif., a sweat suit

Etymology: altered < the v. < ME swat < OE

sweat Idioms

no sweat

☆

Slang no trouble or difficulty at all; easily done: often used interjectionally

sweat blood

Slang
  1. to work very hard; overwork
  2. to be impatient, apprehensive, anxious, etc.

sweat it

Slang to be annoyed by something

sweat off

to get rid of (weight) by sweating

sweat out

☆ Informal
  1. to get rid of or try to get rid of by sweating to sweat out a cold
  2. to wait or suffer through (some ordeal, nuisance, etc.)
  3. to anticipate or wait anxiously or impatiently for
sweat Synonyms

sweat

n.

perspiration, insensible perspiration, beads of sweat, sweating, body odor, B.O., wetness, transudation., steam.

no sweat*

no trouble, no problem, easily done.

sweat Synonyms

sweat

v.

  1. To perspire

    perspire, secrete, transude, swelter, wilt, exude, break out in a sweat.

  2. To work hard

    toil, slave, exert; see work 1.

sweat Usage Examples

Object

  • bucket: Legs feel like lead and I'm sweating buckets in the 25 degree heat.
  • nausea: Severe pain, dizziness, fainting, sweating, nausea, or shortness of breath may also occur.
  • dizziness: Symptoms of hypertension include headaches, rapid pulse, shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness and visual disturbances.
  • headache: The body's allergic reactions may include repeated episodes of fever, shaking chills, sweating, headaches, vomiting, and pain.
  • sickness: Influenza was common, referred to as the ' sweating sickness ' .

Converse of object

  • wipe: His hair in a mess, his face streaked with ink where he had wiped the sweat from his brow.
  • absorb: Ordinary plastic boot inners can be a little heavier and some absorb sweat.

Preposition: on

  • fitness: Derby County are sweating on the fitness of midfielder Bob Malcolm.

Adjective modifier

  • stale: The odor of car fumes mingled with cigarette smoke and stale sweat stuck in my throat.
  • cold: A cold sweat rolled from the officer's brow.
  • salty: A bead of salty sweat dripped down his nose.

Modifies a noun

  • gland: Sweat is produced from the sweat gland, reaching the skin surface through the pores.
  • shirt: Meanwhile, come June, look out for cool Alta Vista sweat shirts.
  • pant: They are dressed in black leotards and sweat pants and, alarmingly, they have bare feet.
  • chloride: The sweat chloride test will not pick up carriers of cystic fibrosis.
  • rash: However, the warmer weather arrived and a sweat rash appeared.
  • duct: This blocks the sweat ducts, by forming a gel which prevents perspiration.

Modifying Another Word

  • profusely: You should also look for odd behavior, for example, a customer who appears to be sweating profusely on a cold day.

Noun used with modifier

  • night: Keep your feet cool cause studies have shown this will lead to fewer night sweats.

Preposition: of

  • brow: God's only curse is labor: with the sweat Of honest brows to earn the fruit of toil.
sweat Quotes

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return to the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shall return.

—Bible (Old Testament)

Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get.

—Kroc, Ray(mond) A

It is only because miners sweat their guts out that superior persons can remain superior.

—Orwell, George pseudonym of  Eric Arthur Blair

Poetry†is perfection's sweat but most seen as fresh as the raindrops on a statue's brow.

—Walcott, Derek Alton

All good poetry is forged slowlyand patiently, link by link, with sweat and blood and tears.

—Douglas, Lord Alfred Bruce

I am proud that I am an Australian, a daughter of the Southern Cross, a child of the mighty bush. I am thankful I am a peasant, a part of the bone and muscle of my nation, and earn my bread by the sweat of my brow, as man was meant to do. I rejoice I was not born a parasite, one of the blood-suckers who loll on velvet and satin, crushed from the proceeds of human sweat and blood and souls.

—of Bin Bin

The mere animal pleasure of travelling in a wild unexplored country is also great† The effect of travel ona manwhoseheart isintheright place isthatthemind is made more self-reliant: it becomes more confident of its own resourcesöthere isgreater presence of mind† The sweat of one's brow is no longer a curse when one works for God: it proves a tonic to the system, and actually a blessing. No one can trulyappreciate the charm of repose unless he has undergone severe exertion.

—Livingstone, Dr David

He looks to me to be in heaven, that manwho sits across from you and listensnear you toyour soft speaking, your laughing lovely: that, I vow, makes the heart leap in my breast; for watching you a moment, speech fails me, my tongue is paralysed, at once a light fire runs beneath my skin, my eyes are blinded, and my ears drumming, the sweat pours down me, and Ishake all over, sallower than grass: I feel as if I'm not far off dying.

—Sappho   7c

I couldn't eat, just went on drinking coffee, and sweating it out again. Liquid had no time to be digested; it came through the pores long before it reached the stomach. I lay wet through with sweat for four hoursöit was very nearly like happiness.

—Greene, (Henry) Graham

His brow is wet with honest sweat, He earns whate'er he can, And looks the whole world in the face, For he owes not any man.

—Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth

Browse dictionary entries near sweat

  1. ‹ swearword
  2. ‹ swearing
  3. ‹ swear out
  4. ‹ swear off
  5. ‹ swear in
  6. ‹ swear for
  7. ‹ swear by
  8. ‹ swear
  9. ‹ SWbW
  10. ‹ SWbS
  1. sweat bee ›
  2. sweat blood ›
  3. sweat equity ›
  4. sweat gland ›
  5. sweat lodge ›
  6. sweat out ›
  7. sweat shirt ›
  8. sweatband ›
  9. sweatbox ›
  10. sweater ›