brainstorm

[ breyn-stawrm ]

noun

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.

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

/ 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

Other Words From

• brain·storm·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of brainstorm¹

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

Example Sentences

So, a smart way for brands to maximize their influence on TikTok is to understand the content popular within the platform and have their creative teams brainstorm content ideas.

From Search Engine Watch

We’ve gotten used to working from the kitchen table, and no one thinks it’s unusual to hold meetings on Zoom or to brainstorm using a Miro digital whiteboard.

From Quartz

You’ll help us brainstorm topics, reach out to sources and make editorial choices about how to best frame and present the issues at hand.

From FiveThirtyEight

Gather your team if you haven’t already, and brainstorm the opportunities for improvement that you can infer from the map.

From Search Engine Watch

They brainstorm new ways to turn the numbers into useful information.

From Science News For Students

Bringing comedy to the forefront, Samsung employs Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd to sit in a brainstorm meeting.

From The Daily Beast

He used precious time when he could have been resting to brainstorm with Fasanella about ways to make future raids more effective.

From The Daily Beast

They didn't want to brainstorm solutions and they didn't want to bale water.

From The Daily Beast

She was working on the MGM production Brainstorm with Walken when she drowned over Thanksgiving weekend.

From The Daily Beast

Over the next three days we'll hear stories of bravery and brainstorm solutions for change.

From The Daily Beast

I fired up my Xbox and opened a word-processor and started to brainstorm ideas for my papers.

From Project Gutenberg

It had been a brainstorm selecting only girls—and pretty young things, at that—for the Interstellar Symphony.

From Project Gutenberg

It's a kind of rose-colored brainstorm, but it very seldom has complications.

From Project Gutenberg

"And then my erstwhile associate Jimenez had a brainstorm," said Terry ruefully.

From Project Gutenberg

Dont worry, said Harvey, Flo probably had a brainstorm and called them already.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• deliberate