1.
cold sweat; clammy sweat; greasy perspiration
A thick, sticky sweat that appears on the skin during moments of extreme pain, anxiety, fear, or physical strain. Unlike ordinary sweat from heat or exercise, this perspiration has an oily quality and signals distress.
脂汗が出た。
I broke out in a cold sweat.
痛みで額に脂汗がにじんだ。
A clammy sweat broke out on my forehead from the pain.
彼は脂汗をかきながら、必死に言い訳を考えていた。
He was sweating nervously as he desperately tried to think of an excuse.
面接の前に脂汗が止まらなかった。
I couldn't stop the cold sweat before the interview.
A compound of 脂 (oil, grease) and 汗 (sweat). The name reflects the sticky, oily texture of this type of perspiration, which differs noticeably from the watery sweat produced by heat or exercise.
The word carries strong connotations of physical or psychological distress. It appears frequently in fiction to convey a character's suffering, fear, or extreme tension.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 脂汗をかく: to break out in a cold sweat
- 脂汗が出る: cold sweat comes out
- 脂汗がにじむ: cold sweat seeps out
- 脂汗が流れる: cold sweat streams down
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 冷や汗: cold sweat — more commonly used in everyday speech for nervousness or close calls; 脂汗 emphasizes the physical, visceral quality of the sweat
- 寝汗: night sweat — perspiration during sleep, neutral in tone
- 大汗: profuse sweating — emphasizes quantity rather than the greasy quality