Synonyms

cerebrate

American

[ser-uh-breyt] / ˈsɛr əˌbreɪt /

verb (used with or without object)

cerebrated, cerebrating

to use the mind; think or think about.

cerebrate British

/ ˈsɛrɪˌbreɪt /

verb

facetious (intr) to use the mind; think; ponder; consider

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of cerebrate

1870–75; back formation from cerebration. See cerebrum, -ation

Explanation

Cerebrate is a fancy, old-fashioned way to say "ponder" or "think really hard." When you're completing the essay section of a test, you should leave yourself enough time to cerebrate before you start writing. If you love to cerebrate, you may want to be a philosopher some day, spending your time thinking and reasoning about various subjects. This verb comes from cerebration, or "the thought process." You need a high-functioning brain in order to cerebrate well, and it's no coincidence: the Latin root is cerebrum, or "brain."

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023