brew
Americanverb (used with object)
-
brews,
present (3rd person singular)
-
brewed,
past participle, past
-
brewing
present participle
-
to make (beer, ale, etc.) by steeping, boiling, and fermenting malt and hops.
-
to make or prepare (a beverage, as tea) by mixing, steeping, soaking, or boiling a solid in water.
-
to concoct, mix, or cook (a beverage or food, especially one containing unmeasured or unusual ingredients).
She brewed a pot of soup from the leftovers.
-
to contrive, plan, or bring about.
to brew mischief.
verb (used without object)
-
brews,
present (3rd person singular)
-
brewed,
past participle, past
-
brewing
present participle
-
to make a fermented alcoholic malt beverage, as beer or ale.
-
to boil, steep, soak, or cook.
Wait until the tea brews.
noun
-
brews
plural
-
a quantity brewed in a single process.
-
a particular brewing or variety of malt liquor.
-
a hot beverage made by cooking a solid in water, especially tea or coffee.
-
any concoction, especially a liquid produced by a mixture of unusual ingredients.
a witches' brew.
-
Informal.
-
beer or ale.
-
an individual serving of beer or ale.
Let's have a few brews after the game.
-
idioms
verb
-
to make (beer, ale, etc) from malt and other ingredients by steeping, boiling, and fermentation
-
to prepare (a drink, such as tea) by boiling or infusing
-
(tr) to devise or plan
to brew a plot
-
(intr) to be in the process of being brewed
the tea was brewing in the pot
-
(intr) to be impending or forming
there's a storm brewing
noun
-
a beverage produced by brewing, esp tea or beer
a strong brew
-
an instance or time of brewing
last year's brew
-
a mixture
an eclectic brew of mysticism and political discontent
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
brewernoun
-
rebrewverb
-
misbrewverb (used with object)
-
underbrewverb (used with object)
-
unbrewedadjective
-
well-brewedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
brewsimple
-
brewssimple
-
have brewedperfect
-
has brewedperfect
-
am brewingprogressive
-
are brewingprogressive
-
is brewingprogressive
-
have been brewingperfect progressive
-
has been brewingperfect progressive
Past
-
brewedsimple
-
had brewedperfect
-
was brewingprogressive
-
were brewingprogressive
-
had been brewingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of brew
before 900; Middle English brewen, Old English brēowan; akin to Dutch brouwen, German brauen, Old Norse brugga
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When he offered to bring a portable brewery and brew on festival grounds, the city refused, saying too many other producers would want to do the same.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
It is often served at meetings and during social visits, with many people taking the hot brew several times a day.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
"We are currently sat in the volunteer tent with a brew in hand, worship music being played and the warmth of chatter around us."
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
I’ll either make an iced Americano with a little bit of almond milk or a cold brew.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
“Don’t tell your mama, but I think you might have learned how to brew the perfect pot of coffee!”
From "Stella by Starlight" by Sharon M. Draper
She also grows oregano and lemongrass, with which she brews into a tea to soothe stomach issues.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Smaller brews are taking on new life now, as many drinkers cut back on their spending and alcohol consumption.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
In his first interview as CEO, Fink pointed to large containers of single brews designed to share for affordability-minded consumers or small “pony” beers for people taking GLP-1 drugs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
Blue Bottle, by comparison, is a higher-end brand associated with stylish cafes and relatively expensive brews.
From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026
My mother was less sure, seeing the injury, but the pair of them went to work on it, grinding up herbs and coaxing brews down the animal's throat.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
Thankfully, you’ll find plenty of grilled beef and ice-cold Guaraní pilsner, brewed for the restaurant, to smooth things over.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
"Back in the early nineties, we brewed three beers, a mild, a bitter and Old Hooky," he said.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
Freshly brewed coffee made from whole beans may contain very different caffeine levels compared to instant coffee, and preparation methods can also affect cholesterol levels.
From Science Daily ● May 13, 2026
The finished product is indulgent and addictive, flavoring the humble chia seed with freshly brewed Thai tea, maple syrup and vanilla extract, alongside a dollop of homemade coconut whipped cream.
From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2026
The next morning, my mom brewed a pot of Café Ruiz—our annual treat—and brought out the rosca bread with almonds that she’d made the night before.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
The changes have been brewing for the past year but kicked into gear last month when Pulte directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to approve all lenders to use VantageScore 4.0.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
That one extra hit — not only getting something brewing, but following through, manufacturing a second run with a sacrifice bunt and a timely single — was the difference.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
It is not the first big brewing firm to move operations in the West Midlands.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Currently, the company offers a one-hour total body scan that uses its proprietary technology to screen for brewing problems in the blood, skin, and metabolism.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
Segregation laws were proposed as part of a deliberate and strategic effort to deflect anger and hostility that had been brewing against the white elite away from them and toward African Americans.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
