sweat
sweat Lexical Profile
sweat Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The clear, salty liquid secreted by the sudoriferous glands through the pores of the skin, typically in response to heat, physical exertion, fever, or nervousness.
"After running five miles in the summer heat, he wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel."
Strenuous physical effort, hard work, or laborious toil.
"Building the stone wall by hand took months of patience and sheer sweat."
North American Loose, warm, absorbent garments worn for exercise or lounging, such as a sweatshirt or sweatpants (usually used in the plural).
"She changed into a comfortable pair of gray sweats as soon as she got home from the office."
A state of acute anxiety, agitation, or impatience (informal).
"The students were in a cold sweat while waiting for their final exam results to be posted."
• verb
To excrete moisture or perspiration through the pores of the skin as a result of heat, physical exertion, fever, or fear.
"The athletes began to sweat heavily within the first ten minutes of the match."
To work extremely hard or exert oneself strenuously over a task.
"The engineering team sweated over the blueprints for weeks to meet the deadline."
To feel anxious, worried, or distressed about a situation or outcome (informal).
"Try not to sweat the minor details when preparing your first draft."
To cook chopped vegetables slowly in a small amount of fat over gentle heat in a covered pan so that they soften and release their juices without browning.
"Sweat the diced onions and celery in butter for five minutes before adding the vegetable broth."
• Rhymes for sweat
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'swāt' (noun) and 'swǣtan' (verb), derived from the Proto-Germanic root '*swaitaz', which is cognate with the Latin 'sudor' and Ancient Greek 'hidros' (all meaning perspiration).