brainstorm
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to work with other people to quickly think of many new ideas or solutions to a problem.
v.to participate in a creative process, typically in a group, to generate a large volume of ideas or solutions rapidly.
Simple“The team met for an hour to brainstorm new names for the product.”
In context“The marketing department spent the afternoon brainstorming potential slogans, encouraging even the most unconventional suggestions to foster creative breakthroughs.”
UsageOften used as an intransitive verb or with a direct object representing the topic.
Synonymsideateconceptualize - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a meeting where a group of people try to find new ideas by talking freely.
n.a collaborative session designed to produce ideas or solve problems through spontaneous group discussion.
Simple“We had a quick brainstorm this morning to solve the scheduling conflict.”
In context“The initial brainstorm yielded several viable strategies, though the most promising required further technical validation before implementation.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.a sudden, clever idea that solves a problem.
n.a sudden, inspired insight or a moment of creative problem-solving.
Simple“I had a sudden brainstorm in the shower and figured out how to fix the code.”
In context“Just as the project seemed destined for failure, the lead engineer had a brainstorm that simplified the entire mechanical assembly.”
Synonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a sudden, temporary moment of confusion or a silly mistake.
n.a temporary lapse in concentration or a sudden, inexplicable mental error.
Simple“I had a complete brainstorm and forgot my own phone number.”
In context“The goalkeeper suffered a momentary brainstorm, allowing the ball to roll past him into the net during the final minutes of the match.”
Teacher's tipIn British English, this sense is common but can be confusing to learners who only know the creative 'idea generation' meaning.
“To identify them, look at your research question and brainstorm the main ideas.”
From brain + storm. In the sense of "problem-solve", devised as a method of group creative problem-solving by advertising executive Alex F. Osborn and his employees, who coined the term based on the image of using "the brain to storm a problem". First use appears c. 1945. In the sense of "seizure, convulsion, brain activity", from the unrelated idea that it resembles a storm in the brain. First use appears c. 1861.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.