Meanings
plural perspirations
- uncountableusuallyThe action or process of perspiring.
The Cauſe may be Want of Perſpiration : For Much of the Matter of Haire, in the other Parts of the Body, goeth forth by Inſenſible Perſpiration ; And beſides, the Skull being of a more ſolide Subſtance, nouriſheth and aſſimilateth leſſe, and excerneth more.
1627, Francis Bacon, Sylva Sylvarum: or, A Naturall Historie, London: W. Lee, Cent. VII, section 680, page 170Synonyms: sweating, diaphoresis, hidrosis, sudation, sudoresis
- uncountableusuallySweat (fluid).
Passing his hand across his forehead he withdrew it, wet with drops of perspiration.
1897, Marie Corelli, “Chapter II”, in Ziska: The Problem of a Wicked Soul, New York: Stone & Kimball, page 58
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe action or process of perspiring.
nounSynonym of hard work.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe process of the sweat glands of the skin secreting a salty fluid
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinperspirare“to blow or breathe constantly”
- Middle Frenchperspiration
- Englishperspiration
Borrowed from late Middle French perspiration, from perspirer (“perspire”), from Latin perspirare (“to blow or breathe constantly”), from per (“through”) + spirare (“to breathe, blow”). Morphologically perspire + -ation.
More words from Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic عَرَق
- عَرَق (ʕaraq)process of perspiring
Bulgarian потене, изпотяване
- потене (potene)process of perspiring
- изпотяване (izpotjavane)process of perspiring
Chinese Mandarin 流汗, 汗
- 流汗 (liúhàn)process of perspiring
- 汗 (hàn)process of perspiring
Czech pocení, perspirace
- poceníprocess of perspiring
- perspiraceprocess of perspiring
Dutch zweet, perspiratio
- zweetprocess of perspiring
- perspiratioprocess of perspiring
Esperanto ŝvitado
- ŝvitadoprocess of perspiring
Finnish hikoilu, hikoileminen
- hikoiluprocess of perspiring
- hikoileminenprocess of perspiring
French transpiration, perspiration
- transpirationprocess of perspiring
- perspirationprocess of perspiring
German Schwitzen, Perspiration
- Schwitzenprocess of perspiring
- Perspirationprocess of perspiring
Greek εφίδρωση
- εφίδρωση (efídrosi)process of perspiring
Hungarian izzadás, verítékezés
- izzadásprocess of perspiring
- verítékezésprocess of perspiring
Italian sudore
- sudoreprocess of perspiring
Japanese 汗
- 汗 (ase)process of perspiring
Korean 땀
- 땀 (ttam)process of perspiring
Latin sudor, perspīrātiō
- sudorprocess of perspiring
- perspīrātiōprocess of perspiring
Norwegian Bokmål transpirasjon
- transpirasjonprocess of perspiring
Polish perspiracja, pocenie się
- perspiracjaprocess of perspiring
- pocenie sięprocess of perspiring
Portuguese suor, transpiração
- suorprocess of perspiring
- transpiraçãoprocess of perspiring
- perspiraçãoprocess of perspiring
Russian поте́ние
- поте́ние (poténije)process of perspiring
Spanish sudoración, transpiración
- sudoraciónprocess of perspiring
- transpiraciónprocess of perspiring
Swedish svett, svettning
- svettprocess of perspiring
- svettningprocess of perspiring
Vietnamese đổ mồ hôi
- đổ mồ hôiprocess of perspiring
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with perspiration
Cite this entry
perspiration. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perspiration
“perspiration.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perspiration. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “perspiration,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perspiration.
Source: perspiration on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.