stew

¹ American  

[stoo, styoo] / stu, styu /

verb (used with object)

1. to cook (food) by simmering or slow boiling.

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verb (used without object)

1. to undergo cooking by simmering or slow boiling.

2. Informal. to fret, worry, or fuss.

   He stewed about his chaotic state of affairs all day.

3. to feel uncomfortable due to a hot, humid, stuffy atmosphere, as in a closed room; swelter.

noun

1. a preparation of meat, fish, or other food cooked by stewing, especially a mixture of meat and vegetables.

   Synonyms:

   ragout, casserole

2. Informal. a state of agitation, uneasiness, or worry.

3. a brothel; whorehouse.

4. stews, a neighborhood occupied chiefly by brothels.

5. Obsolete. a vessel for boiling or stewing.

idioms

1. stew in one's own juice, to suffer the consequences of one's own actions.

stew ² American  

[stoo, styoo] / stu, styu /

noun

Slang.

1. a male or female flight attendant.

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stew ¹ British  

/ stjuː /

noun

1. 1. a dish of meat, fish, or other food, cooked by stewing

   2. ( as modifier )

      stew pot

2. informal a difficult or worrying situation or a troubled state (esp in the phrase in a stew )

3. a heterogeneous mixture

   a stew of people of every race

4. archaic (usually plural) a brothel

5. obsolete a public room for hot steam baths

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verb

1. to cook or cause to cook by long slow simmering

2. informal (intr) to be troubled or agitated

3. informal (intr) to be oppressed with heat or crowding

4. to cause (tea) to become bitter or (of tea) to become bitter through infusing for too long

5. to suffer unaided the consequences of one's actions

stew ² British  

/ stjuː /

noun

1. a fishpond or fishtank

2. an artificial oyster bed

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stew More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing stew

• in a stew

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Related Words

See boil ¹.

Other Word Forms

• stewable adjective

Etymology

Origin of stew¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English steuen, stuwe “to take a sweat bath,” from Middle French estuver, verbal derivative of estuve “sweat room of a bath”; stove ¹

Origin of stew²

An Americanism dating back to 1970–1975; shortening of steward ( def. ) or stewardess ( def. )

Example Sentences

The novel, partly narrated by SP’s great-grandson Mohit Chopra, illuminates the character’s rebellious awakening from his family with a punched-gut-riot stew of emotions.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

Chelsea are in freefall after their latest defeat - 3-0 at Everton - and now have a two‑week international break during which to stew on 10 damaging days.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

The summer hunting season has therefore gained importance, enabling Greenlanders to fill their freezers to get them through the winter months, he tells AFP over a steaming bowl of fish stew.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

A braised beef ragù that’s great on top of pasta or a creamy polenta, or as a stew if you add more vegetables.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026

There were milkshakes, lemonade, sweetgrass tea, NDN tacos, bison burgers, elk stew and cornbread, fries, veggie roast, edamame with wild rice, and so much more.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Related Words

• boil
• fret
• fume
• seethe
• simmer