brainstorm

[ breyn-stawrm ]
See synonyms for: brainstormbrainstormedbrainstorming on Thesaurus.com

noun
    • a sudden impulse, idea, etc.: Her most recent brainstorm of teaching her dog to surf wasn’t met with much enthusiasm from the dog.

    • Chiefly British Informal. a fit of mental confusion or excitement.

  1. a session of brainstorming.

adjective
  1. of or relating to brainstorming.

verb (used without object)
  1. to conduct or practice brainstorming, a technique for generating ideas and solving specific problems with uncensored and nonlinear thinking, usually performed through group participation in a spontaneous discussion where all ideas are noted without assigning them value, and no proposal is selected or discarded until after the conclusion of the creative exercise.

verb (used with object)
  1. to generate (ideas, solutions, questions, etc.) through brainstorming.

Origin of brainstorm

1
First recorded in 1890–95; brain + storm; originally a manifestation of a serious psychiatric disorder

Other words from brainstorm

  • brain·storm·er, noun

Words Nearby brainstorm

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use brainstorm in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for brainstorm

brainstorm

/ (ˈbreɪnˌstɔːm) /


noun
  1. a severe outburst of excitement, often as the result of a transitory disturbance of cerebral activity

  2. British informal a sudden mental aberration

  1. informal another word for brainwave

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