stew

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈstü How to pronounce stew (audio)
ˈstyü
1
obsolete : a utensil used for boiling
2
: a hot bath
3
a
b
: a district of brothels
usually used in plural
4
a
: fish or meat usually with vegetables prepared by stewing
b(1)
: a heterogeneous mixture
(2)
: a state of heat and congestion
5
: a state of excitement, worry, or confusion

stew

2 of 3

verb

stewed; stewing; stews

transitive verb

: to boil slowly or with simmering heat

intransitive verb

1
: to become cooked by stewing
2
: to swelter especially from confinement in a hot or stuffy atmosphere
3
: to be in a state of suppressed agitation, worry, or resentment

stew

3 of 3

noun (2)

Examples of stew in a Sentence

Noun (1) many in town are in a stew about the proposed plan to close at least one of the elementary schools the audience went into a stew when the evacuation order was announced the documentary looks at the stew of conspiracy theories inspired by the assassination a red-light district full of down and dirty stews Verb The meat still needs to stew. a can of stewed tomatoes She's been stewing over what he said for days.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Each entry also comes with a complimentary buffet dinner of spiced meatballs and chicken, vegetarian bean stew and white rice, seasoned with West African spices. Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 7 July 2025 Other good options are the okra stew, moussaka and a shepherd casserole of lamb sauteed with garlic, onions, fresh herbs and tomatoes. Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Verb
Coming back to your earlier question, the creative direction is all those ingredients stewing together. Rob Ledonne, Vogue, 3 July 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Instead of stewing over the remark, reframe it as an opportunity for self-improvement, Ho advises. Angela Haupt, Time, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stew

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English stewe heated room for a steam bath, from Anglo-French estuve, from Vulgar Latin *extufa — more at stove

Noun (2)

short for stewardess

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun (2)

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stew was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stew. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

stew

1 of 2 noun
1
: food (as meat with vegetables) prepared by slow boiling
2
: a state of excitement, worry, or confusion
in a stew over nothing

stew

2 of 2 verb
1
: to boil slowly : simmer
2
: to become excited or worried : fret

More from Merriam-Webster on stew

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