stew

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈstü 

ˈstyü

1

a

: a dish of vegetables and usually meat prepared by stewing

b(1)

: a heterogeneous mixture

(2)

: a state of heat and congestion

2

: a state of excitement, worry, or confusion

3

: a hot bath

4

a

: brothel

b

: a district of brothels

—usually used in plural

5

obsolete : a utensil used for boiling

stew

2 of 3

verb

stewed; stewing; stews

transitive verb

: to boil slowly or with simmering heat

intransitive verb

1

: to become cooked by slowly boiling or simmering in liquid

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)

: flight attendant

Synonyms of stew

Noun (1)

• huff
• sweat
• panic
• fuss
• fret

Verb

• boil
• simmer

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

Noun

Our recipes include hearty casseroles, warm soups and stews, and freeze-ahead family meals. — Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 July 2026

The main event here is the Butcher’s Feast, a spread of USDA Prime and American Wagyu Beef, plus toro, cozy stews, and more that fill the table. — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 2 July 2026

Verb

Just as Phillies fans will scream about my snub of Marsh, Dodgers fans will stew over my omission of Wrobleski, especially when Wheeler did not return from thoracic outlet surgery until April 25. — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 2 July 2026

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC appears noticeably more clear and less green in the weeks before the Fourth of July as renovation work continues, but controversy still stews. — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 22 June 2026

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)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun (2)

1970, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing stew

• Brunswick stew
• in a stew
• Irish stew
• mulligan stew
• stew in one's own juice/juices

Rhymes for stew

• blew
• blue
• boo
• brew
• chew
• chou
• clue
• coo
• coup
• crew
• cue
• dew

Kids Definition

stew

1 of 2 noun

ˈst(y)ü 

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