sweat bullets
Meaning
To feel extreme anxiety or nervousness, especially under pressure, as if sweating heavily.
Origin
A vivid hyperbole from mid-20th-century American English: fear or stress makes you “sweat” intensely; “bullets” intensifies it (like “sweat blood”). Popularized in slang and later mainstream use.
Notes
Colloquial, emphatic way to say someone is extremely nervous or under intense pressure; often used about tests, deadlines, or high-stakes moments.
Examples
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I was sweating bullets while waiting for the interview results.
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She started to sweat bullets when the teacher called on her unexpectedly.
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We were sweating bullets as the deadline got closer and the system kept crashing.
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He was sweating bullets during the final minutes of the game.
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They were sweating bullets, hoping the police wouldn’t notice the broken taillight.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Usually used as a verb phrase: “sweat bullets” (present/past/progressive: sweats/sweated/is sweating bullets). Often with subjects like “I/he/they,” and common with time clauses (“while waiting”).
Synonyms
- be in a cold sweat
- be terrified
- be on edge
- fret
- panic
Antonyms
- keep your cool
- stay calm
- remain composed