stew
1 of 3noun (1)
ˈstü 
ˈstyü
1
obsolete : a utensil used for boiling
2
: a hot bath
3
a
: brothel
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 3verb
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 3noun (2)
: flight attendant
Synonyms
Noun (1)
- dither
- fluster
- fret
- fuss
- huff
- lather
- pother
- sweat
- swelter
- swivet
- tizzy
Verb
- boil
- coddle
- parboil
- poach
- simmer
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb The meat still needs to stew. a can of stewed tomatoes She's been stewing over what he said for days.
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
Phrases Containing stew
Kids Definition
stew 1 of 2
noun
ˈstü
ˈstyü
1
: a dish of usually meat with vegetables prepared by slow boiling
2
: a state of excitement, worry, or confusion
He got in a stew over nothing.
stew
2 of 2verb
stewed; stewing
1
: to boil slowly : simmer
stew tomatoes
2
: to become excited or worried Don't stew over what they said.
stews 1 of 2
noun
1
as in sweats
a state of nervous or irritated concern many in town are in a stew about the proposed plan to close at least one of the elementary schools Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- sweats
- panics
- huffs
- swelters
- fusses
- tizzies
- frets
- flusters
- twitters
- lathers
- swivets
- deliriums
- pothers
- dithers
- dudgeons
- hysterias
- agitations
- alarms
- hand-wringings
- piques
- ados
- alarums
- furors
- nervous breakdowns
- distractions
- uproars
- bothers
2
as in stirs
a state of noisy, confused activity the audience went into a stew when the evacuation order was announced Synonyms & Similar Words
- stirs
- disturbances
- hurricanes
- commotions
- storms
- turmoils
- fusses
- rackets
- noises
- fun
- pandemoniums
- zoos
- corroborees
- squalls
- coils
- rows
- bustles
- rumpuses
- ruckuses
- hullabaloos
- welters
- bobberies
- alarums and excursions
- blathers
- shindies
- tumults
- ados
- flurries
- clatters
- helter-skelters
- ructions
- furores
- bluster
- hurly-burlies
- furors
- ballyhoos
- hoo-hahs
- williwaws
- moils
- roars
- hubbubs
- hurry-skurries
- clutters
- cacophonies
- upheavals
- whirls
- eruptions
- uproars
- pothers
- shindys
- hubble-bubbles
- dins
- disorders
- hurlies
- hurry-scurries
- kerfuffles
- brawls
- fevers
- hooplas
- foofaraws
- howls
- outbreaks
- splores
- to-dos
- bothers
- dos
- outbursts
- do's
- hoo-has
- scuffles
- melees
- outcries
- flutters
- mêlées
- hue and cries
- frays
- tizzies
- flare-ups
- clamors
- frets
- fracases
- lathers
- fracas
- dithers
- hassles
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- tranquillities
- tranquilities
- peaces
- calms
- hushes
- rests
- quiets
- quietudes
- orders
3
as in varieties
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things the documentary looks at the stew of conspiracy theories inspired by the assassination Synonyms & Similar Words
- varieties
- medleys
- assortments
- salads
- jumbles
- collages
- ragouts
- gumbos
- potpourris
- jungles
- litters
- blends
- jambalayas
- mélanges
- amalgams
- menageries
- hashes
- patchworks
- patchwork quilts
- smorgasbords
- olios
- pastiches
- miscellanies
- hodgepodges
- miscellanea
- scrambles
- shuffles
- ragbags
- rummages
- crazy quilts
- clutters
- mixed bags
- montages
- grab bags
- agglomerates
- farragoes
- combinations
- agglomerations
- tangles
- mishmashes
- motleys
- accumulations
- botches
- alphabet soups
- macédoines
- welters
- tumbles
- hotchpotches
- omnium-gatherums
- sundries
- gallimaufries
- ollas podridas
- notions
- muddles
- aggregations
- conglomerates
- compounds
- detritus
- olla podridas
- aggregates
- salmagundis
- composites
- fusions
- conglomerations
- admixtures
- alloys
- oddments
- catchalls
- messes
- intermixtures
- disorders
- commixtures
- chaoses
- morasses
- snarls
- imbroglios
- disarrays
- disarrangements
- odds and ends
- shambles
- dog's breakfasts
- confusions
- bollixes
- mix-ups
- knots
4
as in brothels
a building in which prostitutes are available a red-light district full of down and dirty stews Synonyms & Similar Words
- brothels
- whorehouses
- bawdy houses
- disorderly houses
- cathouses
- bordellos
- sporting houses
- bagnios
- harems
- massage parlors
- seraglios
- call houses
- cribs
stews
2 of 2verb
1
as in boils
to cook in a liquid heated to the point that it gives off steam stew the chicken till tender, and then remove the meat from the bones Synonyms & Similar Words
- boils
- simmers
- poaches
- braises
- parboils
- steams
- coddles
- fricassees
- reboils
- pressure-cooks
- scalds
- smothers
2
as in worries
to experience concern or anxiety stop stewing over that game and just try to do better next time Synonyms & Similar Words
- worries
- sweats
- fears
- troubles
- frets
- sweats blood
- stresses
- cares a hang
- pines
- fusses
- gives a hang
- agonizes
- bothers
- longs
- yearns
- despairs
- chafes
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- accepts
- endures
- sticks out
- tolerates
- sustains
- bears
- takes
- stomachs
- abides