cold sweat: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Neutral to Informal
Quick answer
What does “cold sweat” mean?
A state of sweating caused by fear, anxiety, or illness, typically accompanied by a cold feeling on the skin.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A state of sweating caused by fear, anxiety, or illness, typically accompanied by a cold feeling on the skin.
A physical manifestation of extreme nervousness, terror, or dread. Can also refer figuratively to a state of intense anxiety about a situation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Both use the same idiom.
Connotations
Identical connotations of fear, panic, or illness in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common and idiomatic in both British and American English.
Grammar
How to Use “cold sweat” in a Sentence
[Subject] + break/broke out in a cold sweat[Subject] + be/feel + in a cold sweat[Subject] + wake/woke up in a cold sweatVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cold sweat” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He started to cold-sweat just thinking about it. (informal, rare)
American English
- She cold-sweated through the entire horror film. (informal, rare)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might be used informally: 'I was in a cold sweat before the investor presentation.'
Academic
Rare, except in literary or psychological analysis of characters/states.
Everyday
Common for describing fear or anxiety: 'Thinking about the exam gives me a cold sweat.'
Technical
Used in medical contexts to describe a symptom of shock, hypoglycemia, or severe infection.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cold sweat”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cold sweat”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cold sweat”
- Using 'cold sweat' without an article (e.g., 'I had cold sweat' should be 'I had a cold sweat').
- Confusing it with 'cold feet' (which means loss of nerve).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it can be used in medicine to describe a symptom (e.g., of shock or hypoglycemia), but it is more common in everyday language to describe fear.
Yes, 'cold sweats' is common, especially when describing repeated or ongoing episodes (e.g., 'He was having cold sweats all night').
A 'cold sweat' is specifically linked to fear, anxiety, or illness and feels cold. A 'night sweat' is excessive sweating during sleep, often due to medical conditions, and can be warm or hot.
It is neutral but leans slightly informal. It is perfectly acceptable in spoken language and informal writing but might be replaced with more clinical terms in formal medical reports.
A state of sweating caused by fear, anxiety, or illness, typically accompanied by a cold feeling on the skin.
Cold sweat: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkəʊld ˈswet/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkoʊld ˈswet/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “break out in a cold sweat”
- “in a cold sweat over something”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine being so scared by a ghost that your sweat feels like ice water. COLD fear = COLD SWEAT.
Conceptual Metaphor
FEAR IS A COLD LIQUID ON THE BODY.
Practice
Quiz
What does 'break out in a cold sweat' typically express?