sweat

14 synonyms for sweat, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — The salty liquid released through the skin, usually from heat, exercise, or stress.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

labor effort

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

moisture grind stew

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

perspiration toil exertion fret lather swither sudor sudate perspire

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

The salty liquid released through the skin, usually from heat, exercise, or stress.

“He wiped the sweat from his face with a towel.”

perspiration moisture toil exertion labor grind fret lather effort swither sudor stew

2. verb

To release sweat, typically from heat or exertion.

“Runners sweat a lot on hot days, so they carry plenty of water.”

sudate perspire

How to use sweat

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

break a sweat sweat it out sweat over something

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.

Full origin of 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."

People also searched

effort labor grind moisture stew fret swither perspire sudor lather toil exertion

Nearby words

← Back to the full definition of sweat