1.
to break out in a cold sweat; to sweat from pain or anxiety
To produce a thick, sticky sweat due to intense pain, extreme nervousness, or acute stress. The sweat has an oily quality unlike ordinary perspiration.
痛みで脂汗をかいた。
I broke out in a cold sweat from the pain.
上司に呼び出されて、脂汗をかきながら説明した。
I was called in by my boss and explained the situation while sweating nervously.
腹痛がひどくて脂汗をかきながら病院にたどり着いた。
The stomachache was so bad that I was drenched in cold sweat by the time I reached the hospital.
脂汗 literally means "oily sweat" — the thick, cold perspiration that comes from physical pain, fear, or extreme stress, as opposed to the normal sweat from heat or exercise. This type of sweat feels sticky and is a visceral sign of distress.
The expression vividly describes a physical reaction and is commonly used in narrative writing, medical descriptions, and everyday accounts of stressful situations.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 脂汗がにじむ: cold sweat seeps out
- 脂汗が流れる: cold sweat flows
- 脂汗を拭う: to wipe away cold sweat
- 額に脂汗: cold sweat on the forehead
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 冷や汗をかく: to break out in a cold sweat — emphasizes fear or anxiety rather than physical pain
- 汗をかく: to sweat — the general term for perspiration
- 手に汗を握る: to grip one's hands in nervous sweat — sweaty palms from tension or excitement