sweat or sweated; sweating
1
a
: to excrete moisture in visible quantities through the openings of the sweat glands : perspire
b
: to labor or exert oneself so as to cause perspiration
2
3
: to undergo anxiety or mental or emotional distress
sweat through final exams
4
: to become exuded through pores or a porous surface : ooze
1
: to emit or seem to emit from pores : exude
2
: to manipulate or produce by hard work or drudgery
4
: to make wet with perspiration
5
a
: to cause to excrete moisture from the skin
b
: to drive hard : overwork
c
: to exact work from at low wages and under unfair or unhealthful conditions
d
slang
: to give the third degree to
6
: to cause to exude or lose moisture
especially
: to subject (something, such as tobacco leaves) to fermentation
7
a
: to extract something valuable from by unfair or dishonest means : fleece
b
: to remove particles of metal from (a coin) by abrasion
8
a
: to heat (something, such as solder) so as to melt and cause to run especially between surfaces to unite them
also
: to unite by such means
sweat a pipe joint
b
: to heat so as to extract an easily fusible constituent
sweat bismuth ore
c
: to sauté in a covered vessel until natural juices are exuded
9
slang
: to worry about
doesn't sweat the small stuff—
Barry McDermott
Barry McDermott1
: hard work : drudgery
2
: the fluid excreted from the sweat glands of the skin : perspiration
3
: moisture issuing from or gathering in drops on a surface
5
: a state of anxiety or impatience
6
Synonyms
Examples of sweat in a Sentence
Verb
He sweats a lot when he exercises.
They sweated and saved so their children could go to college.
We'll let them sweat a while longer.
We'll let them sweat it out for a while longer.
“The car won't start—what are we going to do?” “Don't sweat it. I know all about fixing cars.”
Noun
We were drenched in sweat after the workout.
The runners were dripping with sweat.
Her forehead was covered with beads of sweat.
It took a lot of sweat and toil to build the house.
We helped them not with money but with our blood and sweat.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jem Aswad, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
The protective and abrasion-resistant rubber toe cap is reinforced with a breathable mesh lining so if your feet tend to sweat during long hikes, this is your ideal shoe.
—Michelle Tchea, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2024
Jen Chaney, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
In the adorable pictures, Wren wears a matching green sweat set, with animals printed along the shirt and the bottom of his pants.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sweat 
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Verb
Here, the taut skin seemed to stretch and sweat, almost glowing, as if exasperated of their own grip.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
The protective and abrasion-resistant rubber toe cap is reinforced with a breathable mesh lining so if your feet tend to sweat during long hikes, this is your ideal shoe.
—Michelle Tchea, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2024
Noun
There are zero signs of sweat beading anywhere on his body.
—Jen Chaney, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
In the adorable pictures, Wren wears a matching green sweat set, with animals printed along the shirt and the bottom of his pants.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sweat
Articles Related to sweat
Dictionary Entries Near sweat
Cite this Entry
“Sweat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweat. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sweat
1 of 2 verb
sweat or sweated; sweating
1
: to give off salty moisture through the pores of the skin : perspire
2
: to give off or cause to give off moisture
3
: to collect drops of moisture on the surface
a pitcher of ice water sweats on a hot day
4
a
: to undergo anxiety or stress
sweated through the test
b
slang
: to worry about
5
: to get rid of or lose by perspiring
sweat off weight
6
: to work very hard
sweat
2 of 2 noun1
: hard work
2
: moisture coming from the sweat glands of the skin : perspiration
3
: moisture gathering in drops on a surface
Medical Definition
sweat
2 of 2 noun1
: the fluid excreted from the sweat glands of the skin : perspiration
2
: abnormally profuse sweating
—often used in plural
soaking sweats
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