Meanings
- idiomaticuncountableThe effort extended in (often manual) labour, and the value created thereby.
Making matters worse, these courts developed a new theory to justify the protection of factual compilations. Known alternatively as "sweat of the brow" or "industrious collection," the underlying notion was that copyright was a reward for the hard work that went into compiling facts.
1991 March 27, Sandra Day O'Connor writing for the Supreme Court of the United States in Feist Publications, Inc., v. Rural Telephone Service Co.1 more example
So anyhow Terry brought the three pints Joe was standing and begob the sight nearly left my eyes when I saw him land out a quid. O, as true as I'm telling you. A goodlooking sovereign. / ― And there's more where that came from, says he. / ― Were you robbing the poorbox, Joe? say I? / ― Sweat of my brow, says Joe. 'Twas the prudent member gave me the wheeze.
1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[Episode 12: The Cyclops]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC, part II [Odyssey], page 285Synonyms: sweat of one's brows, sweat of one's face
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe effort extended in (often manual) labour, and the value created thereby.
Origin
A reference to Genesis 3:17 and 19 in the Bible (King James Version; spelling modernized): “And unto Adam he [God] said, because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, … In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground: …”, meaning that due to disobedience to God, humans would henceforth have to exert labour for their food, causing their brows or foreheads to perspire.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch in het zweet zijns aanschijns
- in het zweet zijns aanschijnseffort extended in labour, and the value created thereby
Finnish hiellä ja vaivalla, otsa hiessä
- hiellä ja vaivallaeffort extended in labour, and the value created thereby
- otsa hiessäeffort extended in labour, and the value created thereby
French à la sueur de son front
- à la sueur de son fronteffort extended in labour, and the value created thereby
German im Schweiße seines Angesichts
- im Schweiße seines Angesichtseffort extended in labour, and the value created thereby
Italian col sudore della fronte
- col sudore della fronteeffort extended in labour, and the value created thereby
Norwegian Bokmål ens ansikts sved
- ens ansikts svedeffort extended in labour, and the value created thereby
Persian عرق جبین
- عرق جبین (araq-e jabin)effort extended in labour, and the value created thereby
Polish w pocie czoła
- w pocie czołaeffort extended in labour, and the value created thereby
Portuguese com o suor do seu rosto
- com o suor do seu rostoeffort extended in labour, and the value created thereby
Russian в по́те лица́, в по́те лица́ своего́
- в по́те лица́ (v póte licá)effort extended in labour, and the value created thereby
- в по́те лица́ своего́ (v póte licá svojevó)effort extended in labour, and the value created thereby
Swedish i sitt anletes svett
- i sitt anletes svetteffort extended in labour, and the value created thereby
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with sweat of one's brow
All rhymes →Cite this entry
sweat of one's brow. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sweat%20of%20one's%20brow
“sweat of one's brow.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sweat%20of%20one's%20brow. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sweat of one's brow,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sweat%20of%20one's%20brow.
Source: sweat of one's brow on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.