English Reference
Idiom idiom

sweat bullets


To sweat profusely; especially, to be very nervous or anxious.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

I always sweat bullets before I take a big test.

CONTEXTUAL

He was sweating bullets while waiting for the boss to read his performance review.

COMPLEX

As the detective stood before the suspect, he could not help but sweat bullets, fearing that his hidden evidence would finally be discovered.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    bite the bullet

    To accept a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.

  2. 02

    blood, sweat and tears

    A person's determination and hard work.

  3. 03

    break a sweat

    To put effort into something.

  4. 04

    dodge a bullet

    To have a narrow escape; to avoid injury, disaster, or some other undesirable situation.

  5. 05

    don't sweat it

    Do not worry about it.

  6. 06

    get the bullet

    To be fired from one's employment.

  7. 07

    magic bullet

    A simple remedy for a difficult or complex problem, especially a cure for a disease.

  8. 08

    number one with a bullet

    Superlative; impossible to beat.

Last updated August 10, 2026