Language: Old English
Origin: swætan, from swat 'sweat' (noun)


1 verb

liquid from skin

[intransitive] to have drops of salty liquid coming out through your skin because you are hot, ill, frightened, or doing exercise [= perspire]:
I was sweating a lot despite the air-conditioning.
sweat heavily/profusely (=sweat a lot)
Within minutes she was sweating profusely.
sweat like a pig/sweat buckets informal (=sweat a lot)
basketball players sweating buckets


[intransitive] informal to work hard:
They sweated and saved for ten years to buy a house.
sweat over
He'd sweated over the plans for six months.
sweat blood/sweat your guts out (=work very hard)
I sweated blood to get that report finished.
We've been sweating our guts out here!


[intransitive] informal to be anxious, nervous, or worried about something:
Let them sweat a bit before you tell them.
sweat bullets American English (=be very anxious)
Workers are sweating bullets over the possibility of job losses.

don't sweat it

American English spoken used to tell someone not to worry about something:
Don't sweat it, I'll lend you the money.

don't sweat the small stuff

American English spoken used to tell someone not to worry about unimportant things

produce liquid

[intransitive] if something such as cheese sweats, fat from inside appears on its surface


[transitive] British EnglishDFC to heat food gently in a little water or fat:
Sweat the vegetables until the juices run out.

sweat something ↔ off

phrasal verb
to lose weight by sweating a lot

sweat something ↔ out

phrasal verb
1 to wait anxiously for news that is very important to you:
Van Os is sweating it out while the coach decides which players he's taking to the Olympics.
2 American English to work very hard on something, especially something difficult:
kids sweating out a test
3 to do hard physical exercise:
They were sweating it out in the gym.
4MI to get rid of an illness by making yourself sweat a lot

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