brewed

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive or intransitive

   made a drink such as coffee, tea, or beer by soaking or boiling ingredients in water

   Grammar: Can take an object (brew coffee) or be used without one (the coffee is brewing).

   Patterns

   • brew coffee/tea/beer
   • brew something for someone

   She brewed a fresh pot of coffee for the guests.

   The beer is brewed locally using traditional methods.

   He brewed some tea while we waited.

2. 2verbintransitive

   started to develop or form, especially something unpleasant

   Grammar: No object; often used of trouble, a storm, or a plan.

   Patterns

   • trouble is brewing
   • a storm is brewing

   There was trouble brewing between the two groups.

   A storm was brewing in the dark sky.

   A plan was brewing in her mind.

Word forms

Common combinations

freshly brewed

The café serves freshly brewed coffee all day.

home-brewed

He brought some home-brewed beer to the party.

brew up

Let's brew up some tea before we start.

trouble is brewing

The manager could tell that trouble was brewing.

Synonyms and how they differ

make

More general; you can make any drink, but 'brew' specifically means making a drink by soaking or boiling ingredients.

steep

Means to soak tea or herbs in hot water; it focuses on the soaking step, not the whole process of making the drink.

ferment

Means to make alcohol from sugar; it is a more technical term for the chemical process, while 'brew' is the everyday word for making beer.

Word family

brew noun

A drink made by brewing, especially beer or coffee.

brewery noun

A place where beer is made.

brewer noun

A person or company that makes beer.

Commonly confused: brewed or brood?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “brewed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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