brainstorm

CEFRC1

/ˈbɹeɪnstɔːm/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    To produce many ideas quickly, usually in a group.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    To participate in a brainstorming session.

Examples

  • He had a brainstorm when he invented that machine!

  • We'd better brainstorm about it together and get a better idea.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
2
Synonyms
1

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. To think up (ideas); especially, to do so creatively.

  2. A session of brainstorming, investigating a problem to try to find solutions.

verb

Extra meaning

  1. To investigate something, or solve a problem using brainstorming.

More examples

In context

  • I had been working on the problem for weeks, and then I had a brainstorm and saw that the solution was easy.

  • I need you to brainstorm some suggestions for next week's activity schedule.

  • 2005 October 5, "Iguchi hit ruins Red Sox's night", BBC Online, 5 October A terrible fielding error from Tony Graffanino proved costly. … Aaron Rowand collected an RBI double to get them off the mark before Graffanino's brainstorm. Juan Uribe hit a roller to...

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

Let's all blank ideas for the new marketing campaign tomorrow morning.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From brain + storm. In the sense of "problem-solve", devised as a method of group creative problem-solving by advertising executive Alex F. Osborn and his employees, who coined the term based on the image of using "the brain to storm a problem". First use appears c. 1945. In the sense of "seizure, convulsion, brain activity", from the unrelated idea that it resembles a storm in the brain. First use appears c. 1861.