# sweat

/ˈswɛt/ (US) · /swˈɛt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sweat
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. body liquid

noun · CEFR A2

the salty liquid that comes out of your skin when you are hot, sick, or nervous.

For teachers: the moisture exuded through the pores of the skin as a reaction to heat, physical exertion, or emotional stress.

- He wiped the sweat from his forehead after finishing the long race.
- The athlete's jersey was soaked with sweat by the end of the second half, reflecting the sheer intensity of the competition.

### 2. hard work

noun · CEFR B2

hard physical work or a lot of effort.

For teachers: intense physical or mental effort; often used in the idiom 'blood, sweat, and tears'.

- It took a lot of sweat to get the old garden looking beautiful again.
- The success of the startup was built on years of sweat and late nights in a cramped garage office.

### 3. competitive player

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

someone who tries much too hard to win a game, especially a video game.

For teachers: a player who exerts excessive effort or uses overly serious tactics in a casual gaming environment.

- I hate playing in this lobby because it is full of sweats who take it too seriously.
- The community often complains that the matchmaking system pits casual players against absolute sweats, ruining the relaxed atmosphere of the game.

### 4. to produce liquid

verb · CEFR A2

to have liquid come out of your skin because you are hot or nervous.

For teachers: to excrete moisture through the pores of the skin; intransitive or used with 'out'.

- The spicy food made him sweat so much he had to take off his jacket.
- Even in the air-conditioned room, the witness began to sweat under the prosecutor's relentless line of questioning.

### 5. to worry

verb · CEFR B1 · Informal

to feel very nervous or worried about something.

For teachers: to experience or manifest great anxiety or suspense; often used transitively in the negative.

- Don't sweat the small stuff; everything will be fine in the end.
- The manager told the team not to sweat the minor delays as long as the final product was delivered by Friday.

### 6. to cook slowly

verb · CEFR B2 · Technical

to cook vegetables slowly in a little fat so they get soft but not brown.

For teachers: to cook food, typically vegetables, over low heat in a small amount of fat to soften them and release their juices without browning.

- Sweat the onions for five minutes until they are clear and soft.
- The recipe requires you to sweat the mirepoix gently to build a flavour base without introducing the bitterness of caramelisation.

### 7. to condense

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

when small drops of water form on the outside of a cold object.

For teachers: to collect or exude moisture on a surface through condensation.

- The cold glass of water started to sweat in the heat of the afternoon.
- The copper pipes began to sweat as the humidity in the basement rose, leading to concerns about potential water damage.

## Examples

- He wiped the sweat from his forehead after the long run.
- The recipe says to cook the onions until they release their sweat but do not turn brown.
- The intense humidity of the tropical afternoon caused beads of sweat to form instantly, making even the simplest physical tasks feel like a monumental struggle.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.