Stew — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈstü/

Meaning & Definition of Stew

Stew (noun)

  1. a dish of vegetables and usually meat prepared by stewing
  2. a heterogeneous mixture
  3. a state of heat and congestion
  4. flight attendant

Stew (verb)

  1. to boil slowly or with simmering heat
  2. to become cooked by slowly boiling or simmering in liquid
  3. to swelter especially from confinement in a hot or stuffy atmosphere

Stew (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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"

    similar: dither, fluster, fret, fuss, huff, lather, pother, sweat, swelter, swivet, tizzy, twitter
    related: bother, dudgeon, pique, alarm, hand-wringing, panic, ado, agitation, delirium, distraction, furor, hysteria, uproar, nervous breakdown

  2. a state of noisy, confused activity

    "the audience went into a stew when the evacuation order was announced"

    similar: ado, alarums and excursions, ballyhoo, blather, bluster, bobbery, bother, bustle, clatter, clutter (chiefly dialect), coil, commotion, disturbance, do (chiefly dialect), foofaraw, fun, furor, furore, fuss, helter-skelter, hoo-ha, hoopla, hubble-bubble, hubbub, hullabaloo, hurly, hurly-burly, hurricane, hurry, hurry-scurry, kerfuffle (chiefly British), moil, pandemonium, pother, row, ruckus, ruction, rumpus, shindy, splore (Scottish), squall, stir, storm, to-do, tumult, turmoil, uproar, welter, whirl, williwaw, zoo
    related: cacophony, clamor, din, howl, hue and cry, noise, outcry, racket, roar, disorder, unrest, upheaval, eruption, flare-up, flurry, flutter, outbreak, outburst, brawl, fracas, fray, hassle, melee, scuffle, dither, fever, fret, lather, tizzy
    near: calm, hush, peace, quiet, quietude, rest, stillness, tranquility, order, orderliness

  3. an unorganized collection or mixture of various things

    "the documentary looks at the stew of conspiracy theories inspired by the assassination"

    similar: agglomerate, agglomeration, alphabet soup, assortment, botch, clutter, collage, crazy quilt, farrago, gallimaufry, grab bag, gumbo, hash, hodgepodge, hotchpotch, jambalaya, jumble, jungle, litter, macédoine, medley, mélange, menagerie, miscellanea, miscellany, mishmash, mixed bag, montage, motley, muddle, olio, olla podrida, omnium-gatherum, pastiche, patchwork, patchwork quilt, potpourri, ragbag, ragout, rummage, salad, salmagundi, scramble, shuffle, smorgasbord, tumble, variety, welter
    related: detritus, notions, oddments, odds and ends, sundries, accumulation, aggregate, aggregation, conglomerate, conglomeration, catchall, admixture, alloy, amalgam, blend, combination, commixture, composite, compound, fusion, intermixture, mix-up, bollix, chaos, confusion, disarrangement, disarray, disorder, dog's breakfast (chiefly British), mess, morass, shambles, imbroglio, knot, snarl, tangle

  4. a building in which prostitutes are available

    "a red-light district full of down and dirty stews"

    similar: bagnio, bawdy house, bordello, brothel, cathouse, disorderly house, sporting house
    related: call house, crib, massage parlor, harem, seraglio

Stew (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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"

    similar: boil, coddle, parboil, poach, simmer
    related: scald, braise, fricassee, pressure-cook, smother, steam, reboil

  2. to experience concern or anxiety

    "stop stewing over that game and just try to do better next time"

    similar: bother, fear, fret, fuss, stress, sweat, trouble, worry, give a hang, sweat blood
    related: agonize, long, pine, yearn, chafe, despair
    near: accept, abide, bear, endure, stick out, stomach, sustain, take, tolerate

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Stew

The most common words with a similar meaning to Stew:

Chiefly dialect: clutter, do
Chiefly British: kerfuffle
Scottish: splore
dither, fluster, fret, fuss, huff, lather, pother, sweat, swelter, swivet, tizzy, twitter, ado, alarums and excursions, ballyhoo, blather, bluster, bobbery, bother, bustle, clatter, coil, commotion, disturbance, foofaraw, fun, furor, furore, helter-skelter, hoo-ha, hoopla, hubble-bubble, hubbub, hullabaloo, hurly, hurly-burly, hurricane, hurry, hurry-scurry, moil

Related Words for Stew

dudgeon, pique, alarm, hand-wringing, panic, agitation, delirium, distraction, hysteria, nervous breakdown, cacophony, clamor, din, howl, hue and cry, noise, outcry, racket, roar, disorder, unrest, upheaval, eruption, flare-up, flurry, flutter, outbreak, outburst, brawl, fracas

Near Antonyms of Stew

calm, hush, peace, quiet, quietude, rest, stillness, tranquility, order, orderliness, accept, abide, bear, endure, stick out, stomach, sustain, take, tolerate

Word Forms of Stew

Inflections: stewed, stewing, stews

Origin & Etymology of Stew

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

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Stew

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

Frequently Asked Questions about Stew

What does "Stew" mean?

"Stew" means a dish of vegetables and usually meat prepared by stewing. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a dish of vegetables and usually meat prepared by stewing. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Stew"?

Other words for "Stew" include dither, fluster, fret, fuss, huff, lather, pother and sweat. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Stew" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Stew"?

There are 213 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Stew". Common alternatives include dither, fluster, fret, fuss, huff, lather, pother, sweat, swelter and swivet.

How do you use "Stew" in a sentence?

Examples of "Stew" in a sentence: "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".

Is "Stew" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Stew" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Stew"?

"Stew" is pronounced /ˈstü/.

What is the origin of the word "Stew"?

"Stew" comes from Middle English stewe heated room for a steam bath, from Anglo-French estuve, from Vulgar Latin *extufa stove. First known use: 14th century.

What is another word for "Stew" meaning "a state of nervous or irritated concern"?

When "Stew" (noun) means a state of nervous or irritated concern, synonyms include dither, fluster, fret, fuss, huff and lather.