sweat equity
An investment of labour, typically by the owner and often his or her family, usually in a small business or personal residence that increases the value of the business or residence.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“They built their business using sweat equity instead of bank loans.”
“By painting and repairing the house themselves, the couple added significant sweat equity to their first home.”
“The startup founders invested years of sweat equity into the project, hoping their hard work would eventually yield a substantial return when the company went public.”
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blood, sweat and tears
A person's determination and hard work.
- 02
break a sweat
To put effort into something.
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don't sweat it
Do not worry about it.
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sweat bricks
Synonym of sweat bullets (“to sweat profusely”).
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sweat bullets
To sweat profusely; especially, to be very nervous or anxious.
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sweat of one's brow
The effort extended in (often manual) labour, and the value created thereby.
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sweat the small stuff
To worry about petty issues or insignificant matters.
Last updated August 10, 2026