Brew
verb / noun brews (3rd person singular), brewed (past simple/past participle), brewing (present participle)
Definition
1. To make beer by fermentation.
2. To make tea or coffee by steeping.
3. To develop or be about to happen (especially something unpleasant).
4. (noun): a drink made by brewing, especially beer.
5. A cup of tea or coffee.
6. A mixture of things.
2. To make tea or coffee by steeping.
3. To develop or be about to happen (especially something unpleasant).
4. (noun): a drink made by brewing, especially beer.
5. A cup of tea or coffee.
6. A mixture of things.
Context Alive
She could feel tension brewing between the two department heads during the meeting, their polite smiles growing increasingly forced as they disagreed on every point until the atmosphere became so uncomfortable that their colleagues started finding excuses to leave the room early.
Meanings
12 meanings 1 To Make Beer Through Fermentation (Verb) — VERY COMMON Common ▼
This is the original meaning—the ancient art of making beer. When you brew beer, you combine water, grains, hops, and yeast, then let fermentation work its magic over days or weeks. Humans have been brewing for thousands of years. Today, massive corporations brew millions of gallons, while hobbyists brew small batches in their garages, arguing endlessly about which is better.
Vivid ExampleHe started brewing his own beer as a pandemic hobby, filling the basement with fermentation tanks and filling the house with strange smells until his wife insisted he either perfect the recipe or find a new obsession.
2 To Make Tea or Coffee (Verb) — VERY COMMON Common ▼
Every morning, millions of people brew tea or coffee—pouring hot water over leaves or grounds and letting them steep until the drink reaches the right strength. You can brew for one minute or ten; weak or strong; in a pot, a press, or a machine. The simple act of brewing a cup is a daily ritual for half the world.
Vivid ExampleHer grandmother always brewed tea the traditional way, warming the pot first and measuring the leaves precisely, insisting that tea bags were an insult to centuries of careful craftsmanship and refusing to let one enter her kitchen.
3 A Drink Made by Brewing, Especially Beer (Noun) — VERY COMMON Common ▼
As a noun, a brew is simply the drink itself—usually beer. “A fine brew.” “A local brew.” “The house brew.” Craft beer enthusiasts spend hours discussing different brews, comparing flavors, and debating which microbrewery makes the best IPA or stout.
Vivid ExampleThe pub was famous for its house brew, a dark amber ale with hints of caramel and coffee that locals claimed couldn’t be replicated anywhere else and tourists traveled hours to taste.
4 To Develop or Be About to Happen (Verb) — VERY COMMON Common ▼
This figurative meaning is incredibly common. When something is brewing, it’s forming gradually—usually something unpleasant. Trouble is brewing. A storm is brewing. Conflict is brewing. Like ingredients slowly combining in a pot, problems develop invisibly until they’re suddenly ready to boil over.
Vivid ExampleAnyone paying attention could see that a crisis was brewing in the financial markets, with warning signs accumulating for months while regulators looked the other way and investors continued pretending everything was fine.
5 A Cup of Tea or Coffee (Noun — British Informal) — COMMON Common ▼
In British English especially, a “brew” often just means a cup of tea or coffee. “Fancy a brew?” means “Would you like a cup of tea?” It’s casual, friendly, everyday language—the kind of thing coworkers say to each other ten times a day in offices across Britain.
Vivid Example“I’m making a brew—anyone want one?” she called across the office, knowing that this simple question would generate at least fifteen different requests involving varying amounts of milk, sugar, and brewing time.
6 A Mixture or Combination of Things (Noun) — COMMON Common ▼
A brew can be any mixture—especially a strange, complex, or unpleasant one. A “toxic brew” of emotions. A “heady brew” of excitement and fear. A “potent brew” of ingredients. The word suggests things combining and developing together, often unpredictably.
Vivid ExampleThe scandal was a toxic brew of greed, deception, and betrayal that kept tabloid journalists busy for months, with each new revelation more shocking than the last and no end to the drama in sight.
7 'A Storm Is Brewing' — Trouble Is Approaching (Idiomatic) — VERY COMMON Common ▼
This expression can be literal—dark clouds gathering, weather about to turn bad—or figurative, meaning problems are developing and conflict is coming. When someone says “there’s a storm brewing,” they’re warning that things are about to get difficult, tense, or explosive.
Vivid ExampleShe could tell a storm was brewing the moment her teenage son came home from school, his jaw tight and his silence speaking louder than any words about whatever had happened that day.
8 'Brew Up' — To Make Tea (British) or To Develop Quickly (Verb) — COMMON Common ▼
In British slang, to “brew up” means to make tea—especially in informal or military contexts. More broadly, things can “brew up” when they develop rapidly. A conflict brews up. A romance brews up. It suggests something forming quickly and gaining momentum.
Vivid ExampleThe soldiers took any opportunity to brew up, making tea over tiny portable stoves even in the most dangerous situations because, as one sergeant explained, “a proper cuppa is worth risking your life for.”
9 'Home Brew' — Beer Made at Home (Noun) — COMMON Common ▼
“Home brew” is beer made by amateurs in their homes rather than by commercial breweries. It’s become increasingly popular, with dedicated hobbyists investing in equipment and experimenting with recipes. Home brew ranges from barely drinkable disasters to award-winning creations that rival professional products.
Vivid ExampleHe proudly offered guests his latest home brew, a Belgian-style wheat beer that had taken three months to perfect, watching anxiously as they took their first sips and desperately hoping for compliments.
10 'Witches' Brew' — A Strange or Unpleasant Mixture (Idiomatic) — COMMON Common ▼
A “witches’ brew” is a strange, mysterious, or unpleasant concoction—named after the bubbling cauldrons in fairy tales. You might describe a terrible-looking smoothie as a witches’ brew, or use the term for any mixture of ingredients or factors that seems sinister or chaotic.
Vivid ExampleThe health drink her trainer recommended looked like a witches’ brew—thick, green, and smelling faintly of seaweed—but she drank it every morning anyway because he promised it would boost her energy.
11 'What's Brewing?' — What's Happening or Developing (Idiomatic) — COMMON Common ▼
When someone asks “what’s brewing?” they want to know what’s happening, what’s being planned, or what developments are occurring. It’s casual, curious—a friendly way of asking for news or updates about situations that are still unfolding.
Vivid Example“So what’s brewing with you and that guy from marketing?” her friend asked with a knowing smile, having noticed the way they lingered at each other’s desks far longer than any work conversation required.
12 'Brewed to Perfection' — Made Exactly Right (Idiomatic) — COMMON Common ▼
When something is “brewed to perfection,” it’s been made exactly right—usually referring to coffee or tea, but sometimes used more broadly for anything that’s been carefully prepared and turned out perfectly. It’s the ideal result of patience and skill.
Vivid ExampleThe barista handed over the espresso with quiet pride, brewed to perfection after years of training, and watched as the customer’s eyes widened at the first sip—exactly the reaction that made the job worthwhile.
Examples from the Street
“Shall I brew some tea?”
Shall I make some tea?
“There’s trouble brewing between those two.”
There’s conflict developing between them; problems are forming
“This coffee is a strong brew.”
This coffee is a powerful/intense drink
Common Patterns
brew tea/coffee → make tea or coffee
brew beer → make beer (professionally or at home)
freshly brewed → just made; recently prepared
let it brew → allow tea/coffee to develop flavour
home-brewed → made at home rather than commercially
trouble/problems brewing → difficulties developing
a storm is brewing → trouble is developing; or literal weather forming
something is brewing → something is developing or being planned
brewing for a while → developing over time
a brew → a cup of tea or coffee; or a type of beer
a strong/weak brew → an intense/mild drink
a nice/good brew → a satisfying cup of tea/coffee
a local brew → beer made in the area
a strange brew → an unusual mixture (literal or figurative)
Collocations
4 collocationsbrew trouble
gradually create problems
storm brewing
a difficult situation developing
brew a cup of tea
make tea by steeping leaves in hot water
something's brewing
something is secretly developing
Example Sentences
12 examples
1
I’ll brew some fresh coffee — this pot is cold
I’ll make some new coffee — this container has gone cold.
2
Let the tea brew for a few minutes before pouring
Allow the tea to develop flavour for a short while before serving.
3
He’s started brewing his own beer at home
He’s begun making his own alcoholic drinks in his house.
4
I can sense trouble brewing in the office
I can feel problems developing at work.
5
A storm is brewing — both literally and in my marriage
Bad weather is forming — and so is conflict in my relationship.
6
This conflict has been brewing for years
This dispute has been developing over a long period.
7
Fancy a brew? I’m putting the kettle on
Would you like a cup of tea? I’m boiling water.
8
This is a strong brew — it’ll wake you up
This is a powerful coffee — it’ll make you alert.
9
Try the local brew — it’s excellent
Sample the beer made in this area — it’s very good.
10
The film is a strange brew of comedy and horror
The movie is an unusual mixture of humour and scary elements.
Learner Examples
★
Confidence in speaking takes time — it brews slowly through practice and small successes
Self-assurance in conversation requires patience — it develops gradually through repetition and minor achievements.
★
I could sense frustration brewing in the classroom when the grammar got too complicated
I could feel annoyance developing among the students when the structural rules became too difficult.
Phrasal Verbs & Idioms
3 items
Phrasal Verbsbrew up — prepare or develop gradually
Something exciting is brewing up in the marketing department this week.
Idioms & Expressionsa storm is brewing — trouble is developing
From the look on her face, I could tell a storm was brewing.
brew trouble — cause problems to develop
Those late deliveries are going to brew trouble with our biggest client.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymsdevelop
a situation building up
build up
growing stronger over time
cook up
informal, planning something
prepare
getting something ready
Antonymssettle
calming down
die down
a situation fading away