sweat
11 ENTRIES FOUND:
sweats;
sweat
or
sweated;
sweating
sweats;
sweat
or
sweated;
sweating
Britannica Dictionary definition of SWEAT
1
[no object]
:
to produce a clear liquid from your skin when you are hot or nervous
-
He sweats a lot when he exercises.
-
The dancers were sweating [=(more formally) perspiring] profusely.
-
(informal) He was sweating like a pig. [=sweating a lot]
2
[no object]
informal
:
to work very hard
— often + over
-
They sweated and saved so their children could go to college.
-
She was sweating over her law books all afternoon.
-
He sweated over the wording of his speech for several days.
3
informal
a
:
to feel worried or nervous about something
— often + over
[no object]
-
We'll let them sweat a while longer.
-
After they took the test, they were sweating over [=worrying about] their scores.
[+ object]
-
We'll let them sweat it out for a while longer.
b
[no object]
:
to go through an experience that causes a lot of emotional stress or worry
— usually + through
-
The cops made him sweat through 15 minutes of intense questioning before they let him go.
-
I sweated [=struggled] through geometry in high school.
c
[+ object]
US
:
to worry or be nervous about (something)
-
“The car won't start—what are we going to do?” “Don't sweat it. I know all about fixing cars.”
-
Don't sweat the small stuff. [=don't worry about minor things]
4
[no object]
:
to produce small drops of liquid on the surface
-
Cheese sweats during ripening.
-
A pitcher of ice water sweats on a hot day.
5
[+ object]
chiefly British
:
to cook (something) slowly in a covered pan with a little fat
-
Sweat sliced onions in a little olive oil until they are soft.
sweat blood
sweat bullets
US, informal
:
to be very nervous or worried
-
I was sweating bullets while I waited to talk to my boss.
sweat off
[phrasal verb]
sweat off (something)
or
sweat (something) off
:
to lose (an amount of weight) by sweating (especially by exercising a lot)
-
He's trying to sweat off a few more pounds.
sweat out
[phrasal verb]
1
sweat out (something)
or
sweat (something) out
informal
:
to wait nervously until the end of (something)
-
It was a close game, and the fans were really sweating it out at the end.
2
US
a
:
to work hard at (something)
-
She was sweating it out on the treadmill. [=she was exercising and sweating on the treadmill]
b
:
to get or achieve (something, such as a victory) by working very hard
-
He managed to sweat out a narrow victory in the semifinals.
3
:
to end (an illness) by exercising and sweating
-
He's trying to sweat out his cold at the gym.
2
sweat
/ˈswɛt/
noun
2
sweat
/ˈswɛt/
noun
Britannica Dictionary definition of SWEAT
1
[noncount]
:
the clear liquid that forms on your skin when you are hot or nervous
:
perspiration
-
We were drenched/bathed in sweat after the workout.
-
The runners were dripping with sweat.
-
Her forehead was covered with beads of sweat.
2
[count]
:
the state or condition of someone who is sweating
— usually singular
—
see also cold sweat
-
After a few minutes of exercise, we had worked up a sweat. [=we were sweating]
-
I broke into a sweat as I struggled up the hill. = I broke out in a sweat as I struggled up the hill. [=I began to sweat as I struggled up the hill]
3
[noncount]
:
hard work
-
It took a lot of sweat and toil to build the house.
-
We helped them not with money but with our blood and sweat.
4
[noncount]
:
moisture that forms in drops on a surface
-
He wiped the sweat [=condensation] off the bottle.
break a sweat
(US) or British break sweat
:
to begin to sweat
— often used figuratively to say that something is not hard for someone to do
-
He started running and soon broke a sweat.
-
He loaded all five boxes without breaking a sweat.
-
He gave a perfect performance and didn't break a sweat.
-
She rattled off the answers without breaking a sweat. [=she gave the answers very easily]
by the sweat of your brow
:
by doing hard, physical work
-
He earned his money by the sweat of his brow.
in a sweat
informal
:
very nervous or worried about something
-
He's in a sweat about his exams.
-
There's no need to get in a sweat about minor details.
no sweat
informal
:
with little or no difficulty
:
easily
-
I can do that no sweat.
-
“Can you move that big board for me?” “Sure, no sweat.”
-
“Thanks a lot for your help.” “No sweat.” [=helping was not difficult and I was glad to do it]
