cold sweat

noun

1. a chill accompanied by perspiration, caused by fear, nervousness, or the like.

cold sweat

noun

1. informal.
   a bodily reaction to fear or nervousness, characterized by chill and moist skin

Word History and Origins

Origin of cold sweat¹

First recorded in 1700–10

Idioms and Phrases

see in a cold sweat .

Example Sentences

I awoke in a cold sweat, comforted by the realization that I was still at home.

From Los Angeles Times

“I swear I broke out in a cold sweat.”

From New York Times

“When I think about it, I still break into cold sweat,” he said, adding that he has struggled with mental illness since his release.

From New York Times

I woke in a cold sweat of reality.

From Salon

Everything in this forest is drenched in a cold sweat: the stiff pine needles, the skinny twigs, the leafy ferns.

From Literature

Related Words

• alarm
• angst
• anxiety
• apprehension
• awe
• concern
• despair
• dismay
• doubt
• dread
• horror
• jitters
• panic
• scare
• suspicion
• terror
• unease
• uneasiness
• worry