sweaty
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /swˈɛti/
US
- /ˈswɛti/
Description
- Covered in sweat
- damp with perspiration
- hot & clammy
We all get sweaty sometimes. It is the body's natural way of cooling down, and those little droplets show that your body is doing its job. Most often, the word describes someone who is covered in sweat after exercise, hard work, hot weather, or stress. You might be sweaty after a long run, after carrying heavy bags, or after sitting in a very hot room.
The word is also common in phrases like "sweaty hands" or "sweaty palms," especially when someone feels nervous. In informal speech, people may sometimes use it for a place that feels hot, crowded, and full of energy, like a packed gym or a busy concert. So the word usually points to real sweat on the body, but it can also suggest heat, nerves, or intense activity.
"Sweaty" most commonly means covered in sweat. Sweat is the moisture your body produces to cool itself, so the word is usually used when someone has been exercising, working hard, sitting in hot weather, or feeling nervous. For example: "By the time we reached the top of the hill, we were hot, tired, and sweaty."
This is the main and most natural use of the word. It often describes a person, skin, clothes, hands, or hair. You can talk about a sweaty runner, a sweaty shirt after a workout, or sweaty palms before an interview. In many everyday situations, the word suggests heat, discomfort, and physical effort, but it is not always negative. Someone can be sweaty simply because they have been active.
The word can also carry a wider feeling in informal speech. A room, gym, dance floor, or concert might be called sweaty if it is very warm, crowded, and full of movement. In that kind of use, the idea is not just that one person has sweat on their body, but that the whole scene feels heated, busy, and intense. Even then, the meaning still connects back to the basic idea of sweat, heat, and effort. Overall, "sweaty" is a vivid everyday word for physical perspiration, and by extension it can also suggest nerves, pressure, or a hot and energetic atmosphere.
Examples
- 1
Physical reaction
I get sweaty really quickly when I walk uphill.
- 2
Nervousness
My hands were sweaty before the job interview.
- 3
Clothing
He changed out of his sweaty shirt after basketball practice.
- 4
Travel discomfort
It was a long, hot, sweaty train ride home.
- 5
Gaming slang
That game gets too sweaty for me after midnight.
Usage
sweaty
very competitive and intense, especially in gaming slang
Forms and spellings
3 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- sweatyadjective
Forms
- sweatiestsuperlativeadjective
- sweatiercomparativeadjective