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Swear vs Sweat - What's the difference?

swear | sweat |

In intransitive terms the difference between swear and sweat

is that swear is to use offensive language while sweat is to emit moisture.

As verbs the difference between swear and sweat

is that swear is to take an oath while sweat is to emit sweat.

As nouns the difference between swear and sweat

is that swear is a swearword while sweat is fluid that exits the body through pores in the skin usually due to physical stress and/or high temperature for the purpose of regulating body temperature and removing certain compounds from the circulation.

As an adjective swear

is heavy.

swear

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) sweren, swerien, from (etyl) through Proto-Indo-European.

Verb

  • To take an oath.
  • *
  • *:The Bat—they called him the Bat.. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face.
  • (lb) To use offensive language.
  • Synonyms
    * See also
    Usage notes
    * In sense 1, this is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . See
    Synonyms
    * See also
    Derived terms
    * swear by * swear like a trooper * swear on a stack of Bibles * swear out * swear to God * swear word

    Etymology 2

    From the above verb, or from (etyl) sware, from (etyl) swaru, from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A swearword.
  • Etymology 3

    From (etyl) swer, swar, from (etyl) .

    Alternative forms

    * (l), (l), (l)

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Heavy.
  • Top-heavy; too high.
  • Dull; heavy; lazy; slow; reluctant; unwilling.
  • Niggardly.
  • A lazy time; a short rest during working hours (especially field labour); a siesta.
  • Derived terms
    * (l) * (l) * (l)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To be lazy; rest for a short while during working hours.
  • sweat

    English

    (wikipedia sweat)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • Fluid that exits the body through pores in the skin usually due to physical stress and/or high temperature for the purpose of regulating body temperature and removing certain compounds from the circulation.
  • (British, slang, military slang, especially WWI) A soldier (especially one who is old or experienced).
  • (historical) The sweating sickness.
  • * 2009 , Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall , Fourth Estate 2010, page 131:
  • When the sweat comes back this summer, 1528, people say, as they did last year, that you won't get it if you don't think about it.
    (Holinshed)
  • Moisture issuing from any substance.
  • the sweat of hay or grain in a mow or stack
    (Mortimer)
  • A short run by a racehorse as a form of exercise.
  • Synonyms
    * (fluid that exits the body through pores) perspiration * sudor
    Derived terms
    * break a sweat * cold sweat * no sweat * old sweat * sweat gland * sweatshirt * sweatshop * sweaty

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) . Compare Dutch zweten, German schwitzen, Danish svede.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To emit sweat.
  • To cause to excrete moisture from the skin; to cause to perspire.
  • His physicians attempted to sweat him by most powerful sudorifics.
  • (informal) To work hard.
  • I've been sweating over my essay all day.
  • (informal) To extract money, labour, etc. from, by exaction or oppression.
  • to sweat''' a spendthrift; to '''sweat labourers
  • (informal) To worry.
  • (colloquial) To worry about (something).
  • * 2010 , Brooks Barnes, "Studios battle to save Narnia", The New York Times , 5 Dec 2010:
  • There are few matters studio executives sweat more than maintaining their franchises.
  • To emit, in the manner of sweat.
  • to sweat blood
  • * Dryden
  • With exercise she sweat ill humors out.
  • To emit moisture.
  • The cheese will start sweating if you don't refrigerate it.
  • (plumbing) To solder (a pipe joint) together.
  • (slang) To stress out.
  • Stop sweatin' me!
  • (intransitive) To cook slowly in shallow oil without browning.
  • (archaic) To remove a portion of (a coin), as by shaking it with others in a bag, so that the friction wears off a small quantity of the metal.
  • * R. Cobden
  • The only use of it [money] which is interdicted is to put it in circulation again after having diminished its weight by sweating , or otherwise, because the quantity of metal contains is no longer consistent with its impression.
    Synonyms
    * (emit sweat) perspire * (work hard) slave, slog, work hard * (to worry) fret, worry
    Derived terms
    * sweat like a pig * sweater * (l) * unsweat

    Anagrams

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