sweat
Sweat (noun) means the salty liquid released through the skin, usually from heat, exercise, or stress. Example: “Sweat dripped down his forehead after the workout.”
How to Use Sweat
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe moisture your body produces when hot or working hard, or (as a verb) to worry intensely.
Word Forms
sweated past tense, sweat past tense, sweaten past tense, sweats plural, Sweats plural, sweats singular
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____ dripped down his forehead after the workout.
Etymology
From Old English swāt ("sweat"), tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to sweat," shared with many related words across Germanic and other Indo-European languages.
Synonyms
View more →Related Words
Rhymes for sweat
See all rhymes for sweat →Frequently Asked Questions
What does “sweat” mean?
The word “sweat” means the salty liquid released through the skin, usually from heat, exercise, or stress. In plain terms, the moisture your body produces when hot or working hard, or (as a verb) to worry intensely.
How do you pronounce “sweat”?
“Sweat” is pronounced sweht (/swɛt/ in IPA).
How do you use “sweat” in a sentence?
Here is “sweat” used in a sentence: “Sweat dripped down his forehead after the workout.”
What is another word for “sweat”?
Words with a similar meaning to “sweat” include sudor.
What part of speech is “sweat”?
Depending on how it is used, “sweat” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “sweat” come from?
The word “sweat” comes from Old English. From Old English swāt ("sweat"), tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to sweat," shared with many related words across Germanic and other Indo-European languages.
Is “sweat” a common word?
“Sweat” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “sweat” have?
“Sweat” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the salty liquid released through the skin, usually from heat, exercise, or stress.
What is the difference between sweat and perspiration?
"Sweat" and "perspiration" refer to the same salty liquid released through the skin. "Sweat" is the everyday, plain word, while "perspiration" is more formal and often sounds more polite.
What is the difference between the two meanings of sweat?
One sense of "sweat" is the literal salty liquid the body releases from heat, exercise, or stress. The other is figurative, meaning hard physical or mental effort, as in "years of blood, sweat, and tears."