brainstorm

American  

[brayn-stawrm] / ˈbreɪnˌstɔrm /

noun

• brainstorms
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• brainstormer
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• brainstorms
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of brainstorm

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

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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

See Examples For:

brainstorm brainstorms

For example, Mwedziwendira uses AI to brainstorm how to structure weekly priorities and create spreadsheets for her tasks.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

We use it to study, brainstorm and solve problems, but we also worry about its effects on creativity, privacy, education and the careers we are preparing to enter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

They didn’t get to figure out that they wanted a horn section or brainstorm on what visuals, lighting and pyrotechnics would add to their show.

From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026

Spiegel says they brainstorm ideas for actors and themes based on what’s in the zeitgeist, tying the stories to specific moments in pop culture, then sprinkling in some evergreen stories throughout the year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

“So, just to do a quick brainstorm here, every club should have some themes, and I know you two have already been thinking about this. So tell me more about your ideas.”

From "Watch Us Rise" by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan

But I also get some dirt under my fingernails with Zoom calls, brainstorms, writing and pitching.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

The characters check off every idea you want them to try in the small space of the car, plus other brilliant brainstorms.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

Researchers are just beginning to test some of the ideas generated by these brainstorms.

From Scientific American ● Jul. 18, 2023

But the two men, who are fathers and close friends, intend “Jam Van” to be more than sightseeing — a resolve that was heightened by their early brainstorms at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

From New York Times ● Jan. 18, 2023

I picture Grandma weaving the threads together, humming and chuckling while she brainstorms the next mind-bending story she’s going to tell me about Ghana.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

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Related Words

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