perspire

perspire — verb

1. to give off tiny drops of moisture from your skin, usually because you are hot o

1.verbintransitiveC2
Definition

to give off tiny drops of moisture from your skin, usually because you are hot or anxious

Example

Even in winter, Marcus perspires when he speaks to large crowds.

formal alternative to sweat

The runners perspired heavily by the end of the mountain race.

common adverb: perspire heavily

Synonyms
  • sweat

    the normal everyday word in spoken and written English

  • break into a sweat

    emphasizes the moment sweating starts, often suddenly

  • secrete

    technical and broader; it can describe producing other body substances too

Grammar Patterns

somebody perspires

somebody perspires heavily

somebody begins to perspire

Usage Note

Common in formal, medical, or slightly humorous language. In everyday conversation, people usually say sweat instead.

Common Mistakes

The coach perspired the players with hard drills.
The hard drills made the players perspire.
'perspire' is intransitive, so it does not take a direct object.

Word family

  • perspiration
    nounC2
  • antiperspirant
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Perspire and sweat both describe liquid coming out through the skin, but perspire is much more formal and is often chosen when speakers want to sound polite, medical, or slightly comic. Sweat is the ordinary everyday word and fits almost any situation. Glow is old-fashioned and usually suggests only a light, healthy-looking layer of sweat, not heavy wetness. Secrete is a scientific verb; it can describe sweat, but it also applies to tears, oil, and other substances, so it is much broader. In normal conversation, most people say, 'I was sweating in the sun,' not 'I was perspiring.' A doctor, however, might ask whether a patient perspires at night.

sweat ↗glow ↗secrete ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • begin to perspire
  • start to perspire
  • perspire through your shirt

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Perspire comes from Latin perspirare, built from a part meaning 'through' and a verb meaning 'breathe'. In earlier use, it referred more generally to giving off vapor or moisture. In modern English, it is mainly a formal way to say that the body is producing sweat.