to sweat the details
1
6.7
- idiom
- Informal
:
preocuparse por los detalles
- I tend to sweat the details, worrying about every little thing.
Examples
-
When planning the event, try not to sweat the details too much.
-
Sweating the details, making the deadline.
-
You know, I really wouldn't sweat the details, Todd.
-
In other words, you should not be sweating the details about your growth or progress in recovery at this time, so long as you remain clean and sober.
Blog text (20) -
Don't sweat the details; focus on the big picture instead.
Synonyms
∞
2.0
Feel afraid about what might happen to someone or something
21
5.7
To complain about very small unimportant mistakes
19
2.8
To worry too much about small things
4
7.7
Worry too much about small, unimportant things
To worry too much about things you cannot control
Antonyms
- Informal
56
3.6
Leave out small or less important information when explaining something
How Worried
- Informal
1
6.7
- Informal
1
5.8
318
1.8
- Informal
56
3.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
The verb 'sweat' can be metaphorically extended to mean 'worry' (as in 'don't sweat it'), so a learner who knows that sense plus 'details' can plausibly infer 'worry about the details.' However, this is an informal, metaphorical usage rather than a strictly compositional meaning, and the specific collocation may not be immediately predictable to all B1 learners without exposure.
Etymology
Sweat the details may come from the image of someone leaning over a tiny task, where sweat shows worry and details are the small parts. So, it means 'to worry too much about small things'.