brew
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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)
-
to make a fermented alcoholic malt beverage, as beer or ale.
-
to boil, steep, soak, or cook.
Wait until the tea brews.
noun
-
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 asked if the scientists were considering using the yeast to brew beer, he responded: "It's on the list."
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
The chain is set to land on the West Coast on Friday, serving strawberry shortcake matchas and cherry glaze cold brew lattes to an invite-only crowd at Kendall Jenner’s 818 Outpost at Coachella.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026
There was no programme or ticket to show for the trip and no half-time brew but the exit was memorable.
From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2026
Mr. Pollan’s journey leads him to an emerging brew of physics, psychedelics, Zen meditation and idealist philosophy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 15, 2026
Not one particle of the heavy stuff so vital to our own being–carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and all the rest–emerged from the gaseous brew of creation.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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
Blue Bottle, by comparison, is a higher-end brand associated with stylish cafes and relatively expensive brews.
From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026
In an age of higher prices, he says, it's important to recognise there are "different ways of approaching coffee" - like boosting production of the increasingly fashionable cold brews.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
It just sort of brews up inside of you.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2026
Chucha brews me a tea of hierbabuena leaves that makes the flutter in my chest and the cramps in my tummy go away.
From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez
A little over an hour before the album’s release, Rodrigo played four songs from the album as the room brewed with excitement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026
In Nescafé’s serialized Gold Blend romance, which aired in the U.S. as the Taster’s Choice saga, he brewed up the romantic hero almost too well.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 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
Kaisa glided through the skies above, keeping watch, while Thorold brewed some coffee and Serafina told him of her involvement with Lyra.
From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman
Unfortunately, a broader conflict seems to be brewing.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
This doesn’t mean that residents have access to a kind of Megan’s Law list to be able to find out who is brewing what chemistry concoctions in their neighborhoods, though.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Alessi added that a brewing "super" El Nino in the equatorial Pacific could also be influencing the heat dome.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
Humphrey Smith, the owner of the Samuel Smith's brewing and pub business, has died aged 81, it has been confirmed.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
One did not have to be a sailor to tell that a storm was brewing.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions 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.
