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

Example Sentences

Allan Binder, a teacher and sound engineer currently based in Hanoi, Vietnam, said he started using AI last year to brainstorm gift ideas for friends and family in the US.

From BBC • Dec. 9, 2025

Legalized betting was a brainstorm not of the leagues.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

To help you brainstorm, Barron’s ran a stock screen via FactSet and looked for companies with large market capitalizations in three classically defensive sectors—consumer staples, utilities, and healthcare—that also boast solid earnings and dividends.

From Barron's • Nov. 8, 2025

His staid superhero movie plays like classic sci-fi in which adults wearing sweater vests solemnly brainstorm how to resolve a crisis.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 23, 2025

But Livingston had just had his brainstorm about removing the grids from the dees, and taking a respite at such a moment fit neither his personality nor Lawrence’s calendar.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• deliberate