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brainstorm

verb

US /ˈbreɪn.stɔːrm/UK /ˈbreɪn.stɔːm/

What brainstorm means

To think of many ideas quickly, often in a group, before you decide which ones are good.

  • Let’s brainstorm some names for the new café.

  • We spent the first ten minutes brainstorming ideas on the whiteboard.

Test yourself

Five questions about brainstorm

  1. Question 1 of 5Meaning

    What does brainstorm mean?

Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer, Enter goes on.

Brainstorm in a sentence

5 more examples of brainstorm in everyday situations.

  • At work

    Let’s brainstorm a few ways to cut costs before we meet the client.

  • At school

    The teacher asked us to brainstorm topics for our group project.

  • As a noun

    We had a quick brainstorm and came up with twenty ideas in half an hour.

  • With friends

    We brainstormed gift ideas for Mia’s birthday over coffee.

  • Writing tips

    Brainstorming for five minutes before you write can make your essay much clearer.

How to use brainstorm

Brainstorm is a verb and a noun: “Let’s have a quick brainstorm.” In a brainstorm, quantity comes first. You write every idea down and judge them later.

Outside meetings the two Englishes differ. In British English, “I had a brainstorm” can mean a moment when you could not think clearly. In American English it can mean a sudden good idea, which British speakers call a brainwave.

Forms

  • brainstormshe, she, it
  • brainstormedpast and past participle
  • brainstorming-ing form and noun
  • brainstormnoun
  • brainstormsplural noun

Patterns

  • brainstorm ideas / names / solutions
  • brainstorm about something
  • have a brainstorm
  • a brainstorming session

Common mistakes with brainstorm

  • NotLet’s brainstorm about ideas.

    SayLet’s brainstorm ideas. / Let’s brainstorm ideas for the launch.

    Brainstorm the ideas directly, or say what they are for. “About ideas” says ideas twice.

Brainstorm or discuss or think up?

brainstorm or discuss
You discuss something to talk about it in detail and reach a view; you brainstorm to produce as many ideas as possible first, without judging them yet.
brainstorm or think up
Think up is an informal phrasal verb for inventing one idea or excuse; brainstorm suggests a planned activity that produces many ideas, often in a group.

Brainstorm is a B2 word. Is that your level? Take the level test or count the words you know.

Brainstorm word family and collocations

The words that go with brainstorm, so you can use it in a whole phrase.

Common collocations

  • brainstorm ideas
  • brainstorm solutions
  • a brainstorming session
  • a quick brainstorm
  • brainstorm with the team

Word family

  • brainstorm (verb, noun)
  • brainstorming (noun)

Similar words

  • come up with ideas
  • think up

Questions about brainstorm

Is brainstorm a verb or a noun?

It is both. As a verb you brainstorm ideas; as a noun you have a brainstorm or a brainstorming session. In US English, the verb and brainstorming are much more common than the noun.

What is a brainstorming session?

It is a meeting where people share ideas quickly and freely, writing them all down before the group decides which ones are worth developing.

Can you brainstorm alone?

Yes. Brainstorming is often done in a group, but you can brainstorm alone by writing down every idea that comes to you, for example before starting an essay.

The word before

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