cold sweat.

Perspiration associated with fear, shock, or illness rather than simple heat or exertion.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• break out in a cold sweat
• wake in a cold sweat
• covered in a cold sweat

On the page

The prospect of losing the child made him break out in a cold sweat.

She woke in a cold sweat after dreaming of the river.

By the time the lift stopped moving, a cold sweat had soaked his collar.

Usage notes

Primary category: fear. A physical sign, not proof of panic; figurative use also conveys severe apprehension. Count noun. Count plural: cold sweats.