brewing: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Neutral to formal, can be technical in specific contexts.
Quick answer
What does “brewing” mean?
The process of making beer, ale, or other alcoholic drinks by steeping, boiling, and fermenting.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The process of making beer, ale, or other alcoholic drinks by steeping, boiling, and fermenting.
The process of making tea or coffee by infusion; also used metaphorically for something being prepared or developing, especially something bad or significant.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major lexical differences. Both use 'brewery' for the place. The metaphorical use is equally common. British English might more readily associate it with tea-making.
Connotations
In the UK, strong cultural connotations with pub culture and real ale. In the US, often associated with craft beer and large-scale commercial brewing.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in UK English due to cultural prevalence of tea drinking ('brewing a cuppa').
Grammar
How to Use “brewing” in a Sentence
[Subject] is brewing (intransitive, metaphorical)[Subject] is brewing [Object] (transitive, literal)There is [something] brewing (existential, metaphorical)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “brewing” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He's in the shed brewing his own beer.
- I'll put the kettle on; the tea needs brewing for three minutes.
- You can sense a political scandal brewing.
American English
- The new craft brewery is brewing a special IPA.
- She's brewing a fresh pot of coffee.
- There's a lawsuit brewing against the company.
adjective
British English
- He comes from a long line of brewing masters.
- The brewing process takes several weeks.
- She works in the brewing industry.
American English
- They visited a local brewing company for a tour.
- He studied brewing science in college.
- The city has a rich brewing history.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to the beer/tea/coffee production industry (e.g., 'the brewing sector').
Academic
Used in history (e.g., 'the brewing industry of the 19th century'), chemistry, or food science.
Everyday
Making tea/coffee ('The tea is brewing'), or sensing impending trouble ('I think an argument is brewing').
Technical
Specific to the beer-making process involving mashing, boiling, hopping, and fermentation.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “brewing”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “brewing”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “brewing”
- Using 'brewing' for general cooking ('brewing soup' – incorrect).
- Confusing 'brewing' (process) with 'fermentation' (one stage of brewing).
- Using it transitively for metaphors ('*He brewed a plan' is less common than 'A plan was brewing').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While its core meaning is beer production, it is standard for making tea or coffee by infusion, and is very commonly used metaphorically (e.g., 'trouble is brewing').
'Brewing' is the entire process of making beer, which includes fermenting. 'Fermenting' is specifically the stage where yeast converts sugars into alcohol. You brew beer, but the beer ferments.
No, that is incorrect. 'Brewing' implies steeping or boiling to extract flavour (tea, coffee) or the specific alcoholic production process. For soup, use 'making', 'cooking', or 'simmering'.
Use it intransitively, often in continuous tenses, to describe a negative or significant situation that is developing: 'A conflict is brewing,' 'Change is brewing.' The structure 'There is [something] brewing' is also common.
The process of making beer, ale, or other alcoholic drinks by steeping, boiling, and fermenting.
Brewing is usually neutral to formal, can be technical in specific contexts. in register.
Brewing: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbruː.ɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbruː.ɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A storm is brewing.”
- “Brewing up a storm.”
- “Brewing trouble.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a witch brewing a potion in a cauldron – it involves mixing, heating, and something (often trouble) developing.
Conceptual Metaphor
DEVELOPING EVENTS ARE DRINKS BEING BREWED (e.g., 'a crisis is brewing').
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'brewing' used metaphorically?