sweating

Everyday

1. Giving out a salty liquid (sweat) through tiny holes in the skin, especially when you are hot, exercising, ill or nervous. tree →
2. Informal: worrying a lot about something: I'm sweating about the test. tree →
3. Working very hard. tree →
4. Of things like a cold glass or cheese, having little drops of water on the surface. tree →

In the lessons

In science, sweating cools the body: sweat evaporates from the skin and takes heat away with it. This is why you sweat when you run or on a hot day; you need to drink water to replace what you lose. In health, sweating a lot with a fever is common when ill. In hygiene, sweat itself does not smell, but bacteria on skin make body odour, so wash and change clothes after sport. Phrases: "sweating buckets" (a lot), "no sweat" (no problem), "break a sweat", "cold sweat" (fear).

Examples

• I was sweating after running round the field. tree →
• Drink water because you lose water when you are sweating. tree →
• The cold can of lemonade was sweating in the sun. tree →
• Sweating helps cool your body down. tree →
• He was sweating with nerves before the spelling test. tree →
• We were sweating buckets on the hot beach. tree →
• Shower after sport to wash away the sweat. tree →
• Don't sweat it — you'll do fine. tree →

Note

Past form: "sweated" (American English also uses "sweat"). Pronounced "swet". "Perspiration" is a more formal word. A glass "sweating" is really condensation: water from the air turning to liquid on the cold surface — not sweat coming from the glass.