sweat
sweht
Sweat (noun) means the salty liquid released through the skin, usually from heat, exercise, or stress. Example: “He wiped the sweat from his face with a towel.”
noun
1
The salty liquid released through the skin, usually from heat, exercise, or stress.
"He wiped the sweat from his face with a towel."
"Sweat dripped down his forehead after the workout."
"Her shirt was soaked in sweat by the end of the race."
2
Hard physical or mental effort.
"Finishing the loft conversion took a lot of sweat and a little luck."
"With enough sweat and patience, anyone can learn to play the violin."
"Building the business took years of sweat and sacrifice."
verb
1
To release sweat, typically from heat or exertion.
"Runners sweat a lot on hot days, so they carry plenty of water."
"He was sweating heavily after climbing the stairs."
"The room was so hot everyone started sweating."
2
To worry anxiously about something.
"Don't sweat it, we have plenty of time to finish the work."
"He sweated about the interview for days before it finally arrived."
"She was sweating over the exam results all weekend."
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.
Common pairings
break a sweat
sweat it out
sweat over something
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Word forms
- Plural
- sweats
- Third person singular
- sweats
- Past tense
- sweated, sweaten
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He wiped the _____ from his face with a towel.
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."
