cold sweat

noun

: concurrent perspiration and chill usually associated with fear, pain, or shock

Examples of cold sweat in a Sentence

The patient feels faint and is in a cold sweat.

I break out in a cold sweat when I think about asking my boss for a pay raise.

Recent Examples on the Web

Who hasn’t stood in front of a wall of swatches and broken out into a cold sweat, returning to the paint store two, three, even four times? —Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin, Southern Living, 22 Apr. 2025

This includes symptoms such as anxiety, cold sweats, headaches and heart palpitations. —Jessica Hartshorn, Flow Space, 25 Feb. 2025

For heart attack: Pain, pressure, aching, tightness or squeezing in the chest; pain that spreads to the shoulder, back, neck, jaw, teeth or upper belly; cold sweat; fatigue; heartburn or indigestion; lightheadedness or sudden dizziness; nausea; shortness of breath. —Nicole Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman, 27 Feb. 2024

While most palpitations are relatively harmless, frequent or severe ones can lead to symptoms such as dizziness, light-headedness, chest pains, cold sweats, and fainting.13 5. —James Myhre & Dennis Sifris, Md, Verywell Health, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cold sweat

• abet
• asset
• baguette
• banquette
• barbette
• beget
• beset
• brevet
• briquette
• brunet
• brunette
• burette

Kids Definition

cold sweat

noun

: perspiration and chill occurring together and usually associated with fear, pain, or shock

Medical Definition

cold sweat

noun

: perspiration accompanied by feelings of chill or cold and usually induced or accompanied by dread, fear, or shock