1 B2 informal
To push a toxin, illness, or substance out of the body by sweating through physical exertion or heat.
"She spent the whole day under blankets, trying to sweat out her cold."
separable
sweat out
B2 informal separable transitive
To endure an anxious period of waiting, or to eliminate something from the body through sweating.
In plain English
To push something out of your body by sweating, or to get through a really nervous wait.
What does "sweat out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To endure the stress or anxiety of a difficult, tense period of waiting.
"The players had to sweat out the final ten minutes of the game with a one-goal lead."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To push something out (through sweat) or to persist through something in a sweaty, stressful way.
Actually means
To push something out of your body by sweating, or to get through a really nervous wait.
Usage tip
Closely related to 'sweat it out' but takes an explicit object (e.g., 'sweat out a cold,' 'sweat out the last few minutes'). Common in sports and medical informal language.
Words that pair with "sweat out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
cold fever final minutes anxiety last rounds tension
How to conjugate "sweat out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
sweat out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sweats out
he/she/it
Past simple
sweated out
yesterday
Past participle
sweated out
have + pp
-ing form
sweating out
continuous
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