sweat

1 of 2

verb

ˈswet 

sweat or sweated; sweating

intransitive verb

1

a

: to excrete moisture in visible quantities through the openings of the sweat glands : perspire

b

: to labor or exert oneself so as to cause perspiration

2

a

: to emit or exude moisture

cheese sweats in ripening

b

: to gather surface moisture in beads as a result of condensation

stones sweat at night

c(1)

: ferment

(2)

: putrefy

3

: to undergo anxiety or mental or emotional distress

sweat through final exams

4

: to become exuded through pores or a porous surface : ooze

transitive verb

1

: to emit or seem to emit from pores : exude

2

: to manipulate or produce by hard work or drudgery

3

: to get rid of or lose (weight) by or as if by sweating or being sweated

4

: to make wet with perspiration

5

a

: to cause to excrete moisture from the skin

b

: to drive hard : overwork

c

: to exact work from at low wages and under unfair or unhealthful conditions

d

slang : to give the third degree to

6

: to cause to exude or lose moisture

especially : to subject (something, such as tobacco leaves) to fermentation

7

a

: to extract something valuable from by unfair or dishonest means : fleece

b

: to remove particles of metal from (a coin) by abrasion

8

a

: to heat (something, such as solder) so as to melt and cause to run especially between surfaces to unite them

also : to unite by such means

sweat a pipe joint

b

: to heat so as to extract an easily fusible constituent

sweat bismuth ore

c

: to sauté in a covered vessel until natural juices are exuded

9

slang : to worry about

doesn't sweat the small stuff

—Barry McDermott

sweat

2 of 2

noun

1

: hard work : drudgery

2

: the fluid excreted from the sweat glands of the skin : perspiration

3

: moisture issuing from or gathering in drops on a surface

4

a

: the condition of one sweating or sweated

b

: a spell of sweating

5

: a state of anxiety or impatience

6

sweats plural

a

: sweat suit

b

: sweatpants

Phrases

sweat blood

: to work or worry intensely

in preparing speeches each sweats blood in his own way

—Stewart Cockburn

no sweat

slang

: with little or no difficulty : easily

also : easy

—often used interjectionally

Synonyms

Verb

• bang away
• beaver (away)
• dig (away)
• drudge
• endeavor
• fag
• grub
• hump
• hustle
• labor
• moil
• peg (away)
• plod
• plow
• plug
• slave
• slog
• strain
• strive
• struggle
• toil
• travail
• tug
• work

Noun

• effort
• elbow grease
• exertion
• expenditure
• labor
• pains
• trouble
• while
• work

Examples of sweat in a Sentence

Verb

He sweats a lot when he exercises.

They sweated and saved so their children could go to college.

We'll let them sweat a while longer.

We'll let them sweat it out for a while longer.

“The car won't start—what are we going to do?” “Don't sweat it. I know all about fixing cars.”

Noun

We were drenched in sweat after the workout.

The runners were dripping with sweat.

Her forehead was covered with beads of sweat.

It took a lot of sweat and toil to build the house.

We helped them not with money but with our blood and sweat.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Plus, style icons Rihanna and Sofia Richie both wore leopard print coats within days of each other at the start of 2024, with Rihanna styling her jacket with a hoodie and sweats while Richie opted for jeans and a baggy T-shirt. —Averi Baudler, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024

As anyone who’s sweated through a run, Pilates class, or strength routine can tell you, exercise heats you up. —Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 27 Mar. 2024

Thankfully, there are plenty of cooling sheets and bedding that have helped regulate my temperature at night, making sleep sweats a thing of the past. —Marilyn La Jeunesse, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2024

Certain anti-dandruff shampoos contain ketoconazole, which is used primarily to fight fungal infections on the skin—in addition to working against scalp infections, it can also be found in creams used to treat athlete’s foot or sweat rash. —Korin Miller, Health, 20 Mar. 2024

Also, some new St. Patrick's Day merchandise including shirts, shorts and sweats available from the 7Collection. —Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024

But just as your eyes begin to glaze over watching Wahlberg and his co-stars sweating and grunting their way across the jungle, someone comes along to save the movie. —Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024

Tahira Ehsan does about half the prep and cooking — hand grinding the spices, sweating down the alliums and mashing them into an onion paste — at her home. —Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024

The tropical Brazilian patterns paired with the functionality of Adidas sportswear are the perfect pair for any Caribbean packing list — from airport sweats to beach sandals. —Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2024

Noun

The best socks for kids are durable, affordable, and fit comfortably to protect feet from irritation, blisters, and sweat while keeping them warm and cozy. —Maya Polton, Parents, 28 Mar. 2024

Managing sweat and jiggly phallic simulacrums are all part of the grab bag of a body-centric show. —Rachel Sherman, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024

Uncle walked even faster now, and his salty sweat dripped onto my already sweaty face, causing my eyes to sting. —Mohammed Naseehu Ali, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024

One month earlier on February 6, Stewart also sported a sweat set when teasing a new home project on her Instagram profile — although her version consisted of a brown hoodie paired with coordinating wide-leg sweatpants. —Averi Baudler, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024

While most people are rocking sweats and athleisure to the grocery store, Rihanna opted for her own version of a lowkey look. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2024

However, Motorola claims the phone is safe from accidental spills, splashes, sweat, and light rain. —PCMAG, 21 Mar. 2024

Koma, 36, paired a light blue shirt with gray sweats and wore sunglasses and an olive green cap. —Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024

Try using a natural cream deodorant or a drying powder to prevent sweat irritation. —Maya Polton, Parents, 14 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English sweten, from Old English swǣtan, from swāt sweat; akin to Old High German sweiz sweat, Latin sudare to sweat, Greek hidrōs sweat

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sweat

• bathed in sweat
• break a sweat
• break into a sweat
• break sweat
• break out in a sweat
• cold sweat
• by the sweat of one's brow
• no sweat
• in a sweat
• get in a sweat
• flop sweat
• sweat equity
• sweat bullets
• sweat bee
• sweat like a pig
• sweat gland
• sweat the details
• sweat test
• sweat over
• sweat suit
• sweat off
• sweat out
• sweat lodge
• work up a sweat
• sweat the small stuff
• sweat it
• sweat it out
• eccrine sweat gland
• sweat blood

Kids Definition

sweat

1 of 2 verb

ˈswet 

sweat or sweated; sweating

1

: to give off salty moisture through the pores of the skin : perspire

2

: to give off or cause to give off moisture

3

: to collect drops of moisture on the surface

a pitcher of ice water sweats on a hot day

4

a

: to undergo anxiety or stress

sweated through the test

b

slang : to worry about

5

: to get rid of or lose by perspiring

sweat off weight

6

: to work very hard

sweat

2 of 2 noun

1

: hard work

2

: moisture coming from the sweat glands of the skin : perspiration

3

: moisture gathering in drops on a surface

Medical Definition

sweat

1 of 2 intransitive verb

ˈswet 

sweat or sweated; sweating

: to excrete moisture in visible quantities through the opening of the sweat glands : perspire

sweat

2 of 2 noun

1

: the fluid excreted from the sweat glands of the skin : perspiration

2

: abnormally profuse sweating

—often used in plural

soaking sweats

sweaty

-ē 

adjective

sweatier; sweatiest