Sweat is something that happens when we are hot, working hard, or feeling nervous. It helps cool our bodies, but people also use the word “sweat” in funny or smart ways. These phrases, called idioms, use “sweat” to talk about work, fear, stress, or even excitement. They don’t always mean someone is actually sweating. Instead, they help describe feelings or situations in a fun and clear way.
In this article, we will look at 28 idioms about sweat. Each one will have a meaning and examples to show how it is used. Some are about working really hard. Others are about being scared or feeling pressure. By learning these idioms, you can understand more English and use them when you speak or write. Let’s take a closer look.
Idioms About Sweat
1. Break a sweat
Meaning: To start sweating because of hard work or exercise
Example Sentence:
• I didn’t even break a sweat during that short run.
• He finished the homework without breaking a sweat.
Other ways to say: Get sweaty, work hard
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom is often used when someone does something with ease.
Usage: When talking about physical effort or doing something easily.
2. No sweat
Meaning: It’s not a problem or it’s easy to do
Example Sentence:
• Can you help me with this? — Sure, no sweat!
• Fixing that bike was no sweat for her.
Other ways to say: No problem, easy peasy
Fun Fact/Origin: It means you didn’t even sweat because it was so easy.
Usage: When someone wants to show they can do something without trouble.
3. Sweat it out
Meaning: To wait nervously for something to happen
Example Sentence:
• I had to sweat it out until the test scores came in.
• He sweated it out while waiting for the coach to call his name.
Other ways to say: Wait nervously, feel tense
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of sweating while being worried.
Usage: Used during stressful waiting moments.
4. Don’t sweat it
Meaning: Don’t worry
Example Sentence:
• Don’t sweat it, you’ll do great in the play.
• Missed the bus? Don’t sweat it. There’s another one coming.
Other ways to say: Don’t worry, stay calm
Fun Fact/Origin: It tells people not to worry so much they start sweating.
Usage: Used to calm someone down.
5. Sweat the small stuff
Meaning: Worry about little, unimportant things
Example Sentence:
• Try not to sweat the small stuff like a messy desk.
• She always sweats the small stuff, like crooked lines on her paper.
Other ways to say: Overthink little things, get upset over details
Fun Fact/Origin: Often used in advice to help people stay relaxed.
Usage: When someone is stressing over tiny things.
6. Cold sweat
Meaning: Sweat caused by fear or nervousness, not heat
Example Sentence:
• I woke up in a cold sweat after that scary dream.
• He was in a cold sweat before his big speech.
Other ways to say: Scared sweat, nervous chills
Fun Fact/Origin: Your body can sweat even if you’re cold—when you’re scared.
Usage: Shows fear or deep worry.
7. Work up a sweat
Meaning: To get sweaty from effort or exercise
Example Sentence:
• We worked up a sweat cleaning the garage.
• She worked up a sweat playing soccer.
Other ways to say: Get tired, move a lot
Fun Fact/Origin: Often used in sports or chores.
Usage: Talking about hard physical work.
8. Make someone sweat
Meaning: Make someone nervous or worried
Example Sentence:
• The teacher made us sweat before giving back the test.
• He made me sweat by not answering my text right away.
Other ways to say: Keep someone waiting, stress someone out
Fun Fact/Origin: It means causing someone enough stress to sweat.
Usage: Used when one person is making another feel nervous.
9. Sweat like a pig
Meaning: To sweat a lot
Example Sentence:
• I was sweating like a pig after running three laps.
• After mowing the lawn, he was sweating like a pig.
Other ways to say: Drip with sweat, soaked in sweat
Fun Fact/Origin: Pigs don’t sweat much—this idiom is funny and not true!
Usage: When someone is really hot or working hard.
10. Break into a sweat
Meaning: Start sweating suddenly
Example Sentence:
• I broke into a sweat before going on stage.
• He broke into a sweat trying to finish his project on time.
Other ways to say: Start to sweat, get nervous
Fun Fact/Origin: Often used when something causes quick stress or fear.
Usage: When stress or heat causes sudden sweating.
11. In a sweat
Meaning: Feeling nervous or scared
Example Sentence:
• She was in a sweat waiting to be called to the stage.
• He sat in a sweat while the teacher checked his test.
Other ways to say: Nervous, full of worry
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to the body sweating during fear.
Usage: When someone feels scared or anxious.
12. Sweat blood
Meaning: Work very hard
Example Sentence:
• He sweated blood to finish his science project.
• She sweated blood to win the spelling bee.
Other ways to say: Try super hard, give it your all
Fun Fact/Origin: It means working so hard it almost feels painful.
Usage: When someone puts in extreme effort.
13. Bathed in sweat
Meaning: Covered in sweat
Example Sentence:
• After gym class, I was bathed in sweat.
• He was bathed in sweat from running up the hill.
Other ways to say: Soaked in sweat, very sweaty
Fun Fact/Origin: Like taking a bath—but in sweat.
Usage: When someone is extremely hot or tired.
14. Sweat buckets
Meaning: Sweat a lot
Example Sentence:
• We were sweating buckets in the summer heat.
• She sweated buckets while dancing at the party.
Other ways to say: Drip sweat, sweat a ton
Fun Fact/Origin: Buckets hold a lot—so does this sweat!
Usage: Talking about extreme sweating.
15. Sweat it like a champ
Meaning: Handle pressure or stress well
Example Sentence:
• She sweated it like a champ during the final match.
• He was nervous, but he sweated it like a champ.
Other ways to say: Stay cool, keep calm under stress
Fun Fact/Origin: Combines sweat with the idea of winning.
Usage: Praising someone for staying strong.
16. In a cold sweat
Meaning: Scared or nervous, same as “cold sweat”
Example Sentence:
• I was in a cold sweat when I lost my phone.
• He woke up in a cold sweat after the nightmare.
Other ways to say: Frightened, shaken
Fun Fact/Origin: A repeat idiom but often used in a different format.
Usage: Describes fear with a physical feeling.
17. Sweat your guts out
Meaning: Work super hard
Example Sentence:
• I sweated my guts out during basketball practice.
• He sweated his guts out cleaning the basement.
Other ways to say: Push yourself hard, give your best
Fun Fact/Origin: Very strong way to say someone worked a lot.
Usage: Extreme effort, often in sports or chores.
18. Sweat someone
Meaning: Pressure someone or ask them again and again
Example Sentence:
• Don’t sweat him—he’ll answer when he’s ready.
• The coach sweated the players to train harder.
Other ways to say: Push, bug someone
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from making someone feel pressure like sweating.
Usage: Often used when someone is being pushed too much.
19. Sweat bullets
Meaning: Be very scared or nervous
Example Sentence:
• I was sweating bullets before my performance.
• He sweated bullets when he saw his grades.
Other ways to say: Super nervous, really scared
Fun Fact/Origin: Bullets are small and fast—like drops of nervous sweat.
Usage: Used in scary or intense moments.
20. Be in a lather
Meaning: Very anxious or upset
Example Sentence:
• She was in a lather before her first game.
• He got in a lather over his missing homework.
Other ways to say: Upset, super nervous
Fun Fact/Origin: Horses sweat and get foamy when worked up.
Usage: Describes stress or excitement.
21. Sweat off
Meaning: Lose weight or stress through sweating
Example Sentence:
• I tried to sweat off the extra pounds at the gym.
• She sweated off her worries with a long walk.
Other ways to say: Burn off, get rid of
Fun Fact/Origin: Often used in fitness.
Usage: When talking about health or stress relief.
22. Hot under the collar
Meaning: Angry or upset
Example Sentence:
• He got hot under the collar when I beat him at chess.
• Mom was hot under the collar when we broke the lamp.
Other ways to say: Mad, upset
Fun Fact/Origin: Heat rises when people are angry, like steam.
Usage: Used to describe anger.
23. Sweat equity
Meaning: Work put into a project instead of money
Example Sentence:
• He built that treehouse with sweat equity.
• They used sweat equity to fix the old house.
Other ways to say: Work value, hard labor
Fun Fact/Origin: Used in business and home building.
Usage: When people trade hard work for money.
24. Keep your shirt on
Meaning: Stay calm and don’t get upset
Example Sentence:
• Keep your shirt on, we’ll leave in a minute.
• He told me to keep my shirt on when I started yelling.
Other ways to say: Chill out, stay calm
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from old times when people would take off their shirts to fight.
Usage: When calming someone down.
25. Drip with sweat
Meaning: Covered in sweat
Example Sentence:
• I was dripping with sweat after dodgeball.
• She dripped with sweat after running home.
Other ways to say: Soaked, bathed in sweat
Fun Fact/Origin: Sweating so much it drips off.
Usage: After physical activity.
26. Sweat out the details
Meaning: Work carefully through small things
Example Sentence:
• We sweated out the details of the science fair.
• She sweated out the details on her art project.
Other ways to say: Focus on the small stuff, fine-tune
Fun Fact/Origin: Small things can take lots of energy too.
Usage: Talking about careful work.
27. No time to sweat
Meaning: Something needs to be done quickly
Example Sentence:
• We had no time to sweat—we had to leave!
• There was no time to sweat about it; we just acted.
Other ways to say: Act fast, don’t wait
Fun Fact/Origin: Suggests urgency.
Usage: When something needs fast action.
28. Sweat stain
Meaning: Sign of nervousness or hard work
Example Sentence:
• He had a sweat stain from running to class.
• Her sweat stain showed how nervous she was.
Other ways to say: Sweaty patch, sign of effort
Fun Fact/Origin: Real sweat leaves marks—people notice!
Usage: Used to describe signs of heat, work, or fear.
Quiz: Idioms About Sweat
Instructions: Choose the correct meaning for each idiom. Each question has one correct answer. Use what you’ve learned from the idioms to find the best choice.
Question Key
1. What does “break a sweat” mean?
A) To get cold quickly
B) To start sweating from effort
C) To feel sleepy
2. If someone says “no sweat,” what do they mean?
A) It’s hard to do
B) They are too tired
C) It’s easy and not a problem
3. What does “sweat it out” mean?
A) Go for a run
B) Wait nervously
C) Take a nap
4. If your friend tells you “don’t sweat it,” what should you do?
A) Stop worrying
B) Work harder
C) Leave the room
5. What does “sweat the small stuff” mean?
A) Sweat only during summer
B) Worry about little things
C) Run fast
6. If someone is “sweating bullets,” how do they feel?
A) Very cold
B) Very nervous
C) Very sleepy
7. What does it mean to “make someone sweat”?
A) Help them with exercise
B) Give them a drink
C) Make them feel nervous
8. When someone says “keep your shirt on,” what do they mean?
A) Stay calm
B) Get ready to fight
C) Change clothes
9. If a person is “bathed in sweat,” what has likely happened?
A) They fell into water
B) They just woke up
C) They worked or moved a lot
10. What does “sweat equity” mean?
A) Paying with money
B) Working hard instead of paying
C) Wearing new clothes
Answer Key
- B) To start sweating from effort
- C) It’s easy and not a problem
- B) Wait nervously
- A) Stop worrying
- B) Worry about little things
- B) Very nervous
- C) Make them feel nervous
- A) Stay calm
- C) They worked or moved a lot
- B) Working hard instead of paying
Wrapping Up
Sweat idioms are a smart way to describe hard work, fear, or stress. Even when we’re not actually sweating, these phrases help us share how we feel. Some idioms are used when we’re working hard. Others help show that we are nervous or upset.
By using these idioms, you can speak and write in a more fun and natural way. Try using a few in your own stories or daily talk. You’ll see how simple words can make your ideas stronger and clearer.
