brainstorm

[breyn-stawrm]

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.

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

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• brainstormer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of brainstorm¹

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

Example Sentences

With Barberis guiding the discussion, Webb and his family spent a few hours talking about what was important to them to brainstorm their mission statement.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

These Yale folk want to win the conversation, not brainstorm a better way to live.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

We brainstormed costumes, characters and sets for the perfect scares.

Read more on Salon

White made the policy proposal as MPs brainstormed ideas on how to fight back against Nigel Farage's party at a fringe meeting at Labour's annual conference in Liverpool.

Read more on BBC

For Wright, that’s part of the appeal of being an executive producer — she could brainstorm all the unhinged things that could happen between the characters.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• deliberate