brainstorm

American  

[breyn-stawrm] / ˈbreɪnˌstɔrm /

noun

1. 1. a sudden impulse, idea, etc..

      Her most recent brainstorm of teaching her dog to surf wasn’t met with much enthusiasm from the dog.

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

2. a session of brainstorming.

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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.

brainstorm British  

/ ˈbreɪnˌstɔːm /

noun

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

2. informal a sudden mental aberration

3. informal another word for brainwave

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Other Word Forms

• brainstormer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of brainstorm

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

Explanation

As you would expect, the word brainstorm involves thought. A brainstorm can be an "Aha!" moment, while brainstorming is the process of trying to think of ideas. If you've ever needed to find a topic for a paper and have just started listing every idea coming to you, you know what it's like to brainstorm. People brainstorm when they need a new idea. You can also say you had a brainstorm when a good idea or solution occurs to you. Often, this kind of brainstorm happens when you're not even working on the problem. For example, a scientist might have a brainstorm for a new project in the shower.

Example Sentences

Teens are early adopters of the new technology, but they face higher risks because their brains, identities and critical-thinking skills are all still under development, said Dr. Nina Vasan, director at Stanford Medicine’s Brainstorm Lab.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

But with the backing of thousands of ALS patients, Brainstorm took the rare step of “filing over protest,” essentially forcing the agency to render a decision.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 25, 2023

Brainstorm a few meals you can throw together with what you have on hand that won’t require you to open your fridge or freezer.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 18, 2023

That includes an experimental stem cell treatment from tiny drugmaker Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics.

From Washington Times • Apr. 25, 2023

C. Brainstorm: free association / stream of consciousness, web and cluster, outline.

From Sequential Problem Solving A Student Handbook with Checklists for Successful Critical Thinking by Lozo, Fredric

Related Words

• deliberate