noun · verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:B R EY1 N S T AO2 R M IH0 NG
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A method of problem solving in which members of a group contribute ideas spontaneously.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: thought shower
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
present participle and gerund of brainstorm
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a group problem-solving technique in which members spontaneously share ideas and solutions
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
we had an intense brainstorming session today
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: group action
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mregh- Proto-Indo-European *-n̥ Proto-Indo-European *mrógh-n̥ ~ *mrégh-n̥-s Proto-Germanic *bragną Proto-West Germanic *bragn Old English bræġn Middle English brayn English brain English storm English brainstorm Proto-Germanic *-ungō Old English -ung Middle English -ynge English -ing English brainstorming From brainstorm + -ing.
Across languages
Translations
103 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
dinkskrum
— method of problem solving
Arabic:
عَصَف ذِهْنِيّ
(ʕaṣaf ḏihniyy)
— method of problem solving
Arabic:
قَدَح ذِهْنِيّ
(qadaḥ ḏihniyy)
— method of problem solving
Armenian:
մտագրոհ
(mtagroh)
— method of problem solving
Azerbaijani:
beyin həmləsi
— method of problem solving
Basque:
ideia-jasa
— method of problem solving
Belarusian:
мазгавы́ шторм
(mazhavý štorm)
— method of problem solving
Belarusian:
мазгавы́ штурм
(mazhavý šturm)
— method of problem solving
Belarusian:
мазгавы́ на́пад
(mazhavý nápad)
— method of problem solving
Breton:
hej-menozioù
— method of problem solving
Bulgarian:
мозъчна ата́ка
(mozǎčna atáka)
— method of problem solving
Bulgarian:
брейнсторминг
(brejnstorming)
— method of problem solving
Catalan:
pluja d'idees
— method of problem solving
Chinese Mandarin:
頭腦風暴 /头脑风暴
(tóunǎo fēngbào)
— method of problem solving
Chinese Mandarin:
腦力激盪 /脑力激荡
(nǎolì jīdàng)
— method of problem solving
Czech:
burza nápadů
— method of problem solving
Czech:
brainstorming
— method of problem solving
Danish:
brainstorming
— method of problem solving
Danish:
brainstorm
— method of problem solving
Dutch:
brainstorm
— method of problem solving
Esperanto:
ideŝprucado
— method of problem solving
Esperanto:
komuna cerbumado
— method of problem solving
Esperanto:
kuncerbumado
— method of problem solving
Estonian:
ajurünnak
— method of problem solving
Estonian:
ajuraju
— method of problem solving
Finnish:
aivoriihi
— method of problem solving
French:
remue-méninge
— method of problem solving
French:
brainstorming
— method of problem solving
German:
Brainstorming
— method of problem solving
Greek:
καταιγισμός ιδεών
(kataigismós ideón)
— method of problem solving
Greek:
ιδεοκαταιγισμός
(ideokataigismós)
— method of problem solving
Hebrew:
סִעוּר מֹחוֹת
(si'úr mokhót)
— method of problem solving
Hindi:
मंथन
(manthan)
— method of problem solving
Hindi:
चिंतन
(cintan)
— method of problem solving
Hungarian:
ötletgyűjtés
— method of problem solving
Hungarian:
ötletgyártás
— method of problem solving
Hungarian:
ötletbörze
— method of problem solving
Hungarian:
ötletroham
— method of problem solving
Indonesian:
sumbang saran
— method of problem solving
Indonesian:
curah pendapat
— method of problem solving
Italian:
brainstorming
— method of problem solving
Japanese:
ブレインストーミング
(bureinsutōmingu)
— method of problem solving
Japanese:
ブレーンストーミング
(burēnsutōmingu)
— method of problem solving
Japanese:
ブレスト
(buresuto)
— method of problem solving
Kannada:
ಬುದ್ಧಿದಾಳಿ
(buddhidāḷi)
— method of problem solving
Kannada:
ಮುಕ್ತವಾಗಿ ಚರ್ಚಿಸುವ ವಿಧಾನ
(muktavāgi carcisuva vidhāna)
— method of problem solving
Korean:
브레인스토밍
(beureinseutoming)
— method of problem solving
Latvian:
prāta vētras metode
— method of problem solving
Malagasy:
zaikakelim-pamoahankevitra
— method of problem solving
Malay:
sumbang saran
— method of problem solving
Malay:
pemerahan otak
— method of problem solving
Malay:
percambahan minda
— method of problem solving
Malay:
tampung saran
— method of problem solving
Malay:
curah pendapat
— method of problem solving
Malay:
ڤمرهن اوتق
(pemerahan utak)
— method of problem solving
Malay:
ڤرچمبهن ميندا
(percambahan minda)
— method of problem solving
Malay:
تمڤوڠ سارن
(tampung saran)
— method of problem solving
Malay:
چوره ڤنداڤت
(curah pendapat)
— method of problem solving
Marathi:
ब्रेनस्टॉर्मिंग
(brenasṭŏrmiṅga)
— method of problem solving
Norwegian:
idédugnad
— method of problem solving
Norwegian:
brainstorming
— method of problem solving
Norwegian:
idémyldring
— method of problem solving
Persian:
طوفان فکری
(tufân fekri)
— method of problem solving
Persian:
بارش فکری
(bâreš fekri)
— method of problem solving
Persian:
اندیشهباران
(andiše-bârân)
— method of problem solving
Polish:
burza mózgów
— method of problem solving
Portuguese:
tempestade cerebral
— method of problem solving
Portuguese:
tempestade de ideias
— method of problem solving
Portuguese:
brainstorming
— method of problem solving
Portuguese:
brainstorm
— method of problem solving
Russian:
мозгова́я ата́ка
(mozgovája atáka)
— method of problem solving
Russian:
мозгово́й штурм
(mozgovój šturm)
— method of problem solving
Russian:
брейнсто́рминг
(brɛjnstórming)
— method of problem solving
Serbo-Croatian:
про̀ток иде́ја
— method of problem solving
Serbo-Croatian:
олу́ја мозгова
— method of problem solving
Serbo-Croatian:
бу̏ра мозгова
— method of problem solving
Serbo-Croatian:
брејнсторминг
— method of problem solving
Serbo-Croatian:
pròtok idéja
— method of problem solving
Serbo-Croatian:
olúja mozgova
— method of problem solving
Serbo-Croatian:
bȕra mozgova
— method of problem solving
Serbo-Croatian:
brainstorming
— method of problem solving
Slovene:
možganska nevihta
— method of problem solving
Slovene:
brainstorming
— method of problem solving
Spanish:
tormenta de ideas
— method of problem solving
Spanish:
lluvia de ideas
— method of problem solving
Spanish:
brainstorming
— method of problem solving
Spanish:
tormenta cerebral
— method of problem solving
Spanish:
pluvia ideal
— method of problem solving
Swedish:
brainstormning
— method of problem solving
Swedish:
brainstorming
— method of problem solving
Swedish:
hjärnstorm
— method of problem solving
Tamil:
கருத்துதிர்ப்பு
(karuttutirppu)
— method of problem solving
Turkish:
beyin fırtınası
— method of problem solving
Turkish:
fikir fırtınası
— method of problem solving
Ukrainian:
мозкови́й шторм
(mozkovýj štorm)
— method of problem solving
Ukrainian:
зли́ва іде́й
(zlýva idéj)
— method of problem solving
Ukrainian:
ґенерува́ння іде́й
(generuvánnja idéj)
— method of problem solving
Urdu:
فکر انگیزی
(fikr-angezī)
— method of problem solving