Irregular verbs  Regular verbs

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sweat, sweats, sweating

Synonyms: perspire, swelter, exude, glow, secrete

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Antonyms: be dry, cool down, shiver, freeze, be comfortable

The Verb Sweat – Definition, Usage, and Clarification


The verb sweat is an irregular (or regular) verb that means to excrete perspiration through the skin as a response to heat, exertion, or fear. Figuratively, it means to work very hard or to be very anxious about something.


VERB FORMS


■ Base Form: sweat
■ Past Simple: sweat (or sweated)
■ Past Participle: sweat (or sweated)
■ Present Participle/Gerund: sweating


USAGE AND CONTEXT


'Sweat' is used for the literal bodily function and for figurative hard work or anxiety.


1. Perspiring
This is its primary, literal meaning.


■ Exertion: 'He was sweating heavily after his workout.'
■ Fear: 'He started sweating when the police questioned him.'


2. Working Hard (Figurative)
This describes intense effort.


■ Effort: 'He sweat for years to build his company from nothing.'


3. Worrying (Slang)
This is a very common informal use.


■ Anxiety: 'Don't sweat the small stuff.' (Meaning: Don't worry about minor details.)
■ Reassurance: 'You forgot your keys? Don't sweat it, I have a spare.'


ℹ IMPORTANT: PAST TENSE FORMS


■ 'Sweat' vs. 'Sweated': Both forms are correct for the simple past and past participle. Sweated is perhaps more common in British English, while the unchanged form sweat is very common in American English, but both are used in both dialects and are widely understood.