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Meetings & Communicationnoun|verb · /ˈbreɪnstɔːrm/

brainstorm

In simple English

In tech workplaces, brainstorming is a structured or informal activity where team members come together to generate creative solutions, discuss features, troubleshoot problems, or plan projects. The core principle is that all ideas are welcome initially, and judgment or criticism comes later. Unlike formal planning meetings, brainstorms emphasize quantity and creativity over immediate feasibility. In tech specifically, you might brainstorm API design, user experience improvements, bug fixes, or architecture decisions. The term is used both as a noun (Let us have a brainstorm) and as a verb (We need to brainstorm the authentication flow). Teams often brainstorm before development sprints, during product design phases, or when facing unexpected technical challenges.

Understand what brainstorm means, how to use it in tech meetings, and how to participate effectively in brainstorming sessions.

At a glanceCEFR B2
Commonness5/5
Versatility5/5
FormalityCasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ WrittenSpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ DiplomaticDirectDiplomaticNeutral
RegionUS and UK
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Say it like this

✓Let us brainstorm this for a few minutes
✓We should brainstorm some solutions
✓Brainstorm session with the engineering team
✓Quick brainstorm before we start coding

Real examples

in a standup

"We hit a performance bottleneck yesterday, so let us brainstorm some optimizations today."

in a planning meeting

"Before we finalize the design, we should brainstorm alternative approaches with the backend team."

in a Slack message

"Can everyone brainstorm ideas for the error messaging UI by Friday?"

in a retrospective

"Let us brainstorm ways to reduce our deployment time next sprint."

Don't say this

Handle with care. Do not use brainstorm to mean individual thinking. It requires a group or team discussion. Also avoid using it as a noun when you mean the action (use the verb instead in action-oriented sentences).

✕I brainstormed the solution alone last night.
✓I thought about the solution alone last night. (Or: Our team brainstormed solutions together.)— Brainstorm requires a group; solo thinking is just thinking or problem-solving.
✕We are brainstorming, so please evaluate all ideas now.
✓We are brainstorming now, so let us hold off evaluation until later.— Brainstorming requires suspending judgment during the idea generation phase.
✕The brainstorm was very serious and formal.
✓The brainstorm was very productive but remained open to all ideas.— Brainstorming is typically informal and creative; formality can stifle idea generation.

Other forms

noun

brainstorm

"Our next brainstorm is scheduled for tomorrow at 10 AM."

verb (present)

brainstorm

"We brainstorm new features every two weeks."

verb (past)

brainstormed

"We brainstormed three potential architectures last week."

gerund

brainstorming

"Brainstorming helps teams generate creative solutions quickly."

Often used with

brainstorm sessionA structured meeting focused on idea generation
brainstorm ideasGenerate or discuss ideas together in a group
quick brainstormA short, informal brainstorming activity
brainstorm with the teamConduct brainstorming as a collaborative activity
brainstorm solutionsGenerate possible answers to a problem collectively

Similar words

ideateMore formal; means to generate ideas, often in a structured way.
workshopA longer, more structured session; implies hands-on work beyond just idea generation.
think tank discussionMore formal and serious; implies deeper analysis alongside idea generation.
brainstorming sessionSame meaning; just emphasizes it is a scheduled event.

Opposites

analyzeevaluatecriticize

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Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Pick the most natural phrasing

1. Your team needs to discuss new API design approaches. What would you say?

Complete the sentence

2. Tomorrow we will _______ potential solutions for the database scaling issue.

Spot the mistake

3. Which sentence uses brainstorm incorrectly?

Rewrite naturally

4. Rewrite using brainstorm: We need to get the team together and think about new ways to improve the user interface.

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "brainstorm" in a standup this week?

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