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”; see origin at stove ¹

Origin of stew²

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

Explanation

To stew is to slowly cook food, which results in a soup-like food called a stew. To stew also means to brood angrily. If you cook something slowly, like beef or vegetables, you stew it. The result of stewing is also called stew, which is usually chunky, like a thick soup. People can stew in another way when it comes to emotions. If your sister sits and worries about something, she stews. The root of stew is the Old French estuver, "bathe or stew." Back in the fourteenth century, stew was also a slang word meaning "brothel or bath house."

Example Sentences

The other night, I rubbed chicken with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a generous layer of zest before roasting it as the base for a stew.

From Salon • Apr. 21, 2026

Foley fancies himself something of a hot sauce aficionado, saying he adds Frank’s RedHot on everything from leftover beef stew to chicken chili.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

In Fiorito, neighbors come and go to "Diego's house," as they call it, lugging containers which volunteers fill with chicken stew or other meals cooked in giant cauldrons in the yard.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

When I get off the road, I always make a big pot of beans or a vegetable stew.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Their orders are already in, and the thick stew is popular.

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

Related Words

• boil
• fret
• fume
• seethe
• simmer