From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsweatsweat1 /swet/ ●●○ verb 1 liquid from skin [intransitive, transitive]SWEAT to have drops of salty liquid coming out through your skin because you are hot, ill, frightened, or doing exercise SYN 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 buckets2 work [intransitive, transitive] informalWORK HARD 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!3 worry [intransitive, transitive] informalNERVOUS 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.4 → don’t sweat it5 → don’t sweat the small stuff6 produce liquid [intransitive]LIQUID if something such as cheese sweats, fat from inside appears on its surface7 cook [transitive] British EnglishDFC to heat food gently in a little water or fat Sweat the vegetables until the juices run out. → sweat something ↔ off → sweat something ↔ out→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
sweat• Out in the corridor Toby found he was sweating.• The heat from the lights was making her sweat and her make-up started to run.• If I had to sweat blood it would be done.• It was tough work. Within minutes we were all sweating buckets.• Let them sweat - I'll give them a decision tomorrow.• Amphitryon, sweating, leaned on his spear.• My God, it's hot in here - I'm sweating like a pig!• Quinn tried to imagine him lying in his bed, sweating out a fever.• Sweating profusely and gripping the lectern, Anderson began his speech.• It's so hot, you start sweating the minute you walk outside.• You're sweating. Why don't you take your jacket off?• She was sweating, yet her skin felt cold.sweat heavily/profusely• At that time, when it was removed from the casket, the community was astonished to see it sweat profusely.• By noon on the fourth day he was sweating profusely.• Her father was under clad for the time of year but was sweating heavily.• Within minutes her eyes were watering, she was sweating profusely and she began to find it difficult to breathe and speak.• Hutt crept silently into the kitchen, his hands sweating profusely as he closed in on his prey.• They grip the lectern, their knees knock, and they sweat profusely as they try to get their point across.• I was sweating profusely in a wool shirt.• The Prime Minister, who looked relaxed but sweated profusely in the hot hall, said he relished the fight ahead.sweat over• The committee spent months sweating over the new budget.sweat bullets• You see, as Job Survivor I am sweating bullets by night, biting bullets by day.sweatsweat2 ●●○ noun 1 liquid on skin [singular, uncountable]SWEAT drops of salty liquid that come out through your skin when you are hot, frightened, ill, or doing exercise SYN perspiration Ian came off the squash court dripping with sweat. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Sweat poured down his face.2 [countable] the condition of sweating Symptoms include fatigue and night sweats.work up a sweat (=do physical exercise or hard work that makes you sweat)3 → a (cold) sweat4 → break into a sweat/break out in a sweat5 → break sweat6 → no sweat7 → sweats8 work [singular] old-fashionedWORK HARD hard work, especially when it is boring or unpleasant9 → the sweat of somebody’s browCOLLOCATIONSverbsbe dripping with sweatAfter two hours' climbing, their bodies were dripping with sweat.be drenched/soaked with sweat (=be covered in a lot of sweat)His shirt was drenched with sweat.sweat runs/pours somewhereMy hand was shaking and sweat was pouring off my forehead.sweat trickles somewhere (=flows slowly)I could feel the sweat trickling down my back.glisten with sweat (=be wet and shiny with sweat)His chest glistened with sweat.phrasesbeads of sweat (=drops of sweat)There were beads of sweat on his forehead.a trickle of sweat (=sweat that is flowing somewhere)A trickle of sweat ran down my neck.be wet/damp with sweatShe had been exercising and her hair was damp with sweat.sweat stands out on somebody's forehead (=there are drops of sweat on someone's forehead)Sweat stood out on Ian's forehead.wipe the sweat from your brow/foreheadHe wiped the sweat from his brow and carried on digging.adjectivesstale sweatThe room smelt of stale sweat. Examples from the Corpus
sweat• Sweat poured off his face.• He threw up so easily, not like an adult retching and covered with cold sweat.• I got sweat in my eyes and couldn't see.• You have more sweat glands and blood vessels per square inch in your scalp than any other part of your body.• Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead and she trembled visibly.• Tepid sweats form, and shine, and instantly evaporate.• The lumps are heavy but I drove myself till my arms cried out and the sweat runs down my back.• He constantly rotates five pairs of gloves, disliking the sweat that builds up inside as he plays.• I sat on an upturned box, feeling the sweat beginning to trickle down my back.• He stopped working for a moment to wipe the sweat off his face.• The sweat of old memories, buried horrors, miserable lonely fears.Sweat poured• After his victory Marcello retired to his terrace with a towel. Sweat poured from his head and chest.• The backs of his thighs were bulging, his hamstrings taut as guy wires. Sweat poured off his face.work up a sweat• Beals, also working up a sweat, wears a distraught look through most of the movie.• Keep this in mind, says Reed, if you are working up a sweat digging your car out of a ditch.• After half an hour or so of vigorous boring with the hand drill, we both worked up a sweat.• They are silent and focused, working up a sweat.• On the days he did hit the water, he lost interest in the workout before he worked up a sweat.• Can you bring us a drink? We're working up a sweat out here.• Just enough to work up a sweat, keep the blood moving, tone the old cardio-vascular whatsit.• Kick the day into action with refreshing Celsius Body Splash Opposite, below: keep your cool even when working up a sweat.From Longman Business Dictionarysweatsweat /swet/ verb → sweat something → out→ See Verb tableOrigin sweat1 Old English swætan, from swat “sweat” (noun) sweat2 (1300-1400) → SWEAT1 