stew
/stjuː/ (bre, ipa) · /stuː/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈstü ˈstyü/ (ame, mw)
stew — noun
- stewsingular
- stewsplural
1. a thick dish made by cooking pieces of meat or fish together with vegetables slo
a thick dish made by cooking pieces of meat or fish together with vegetables slowly in enough liquid to cover them, so that the ingredients become very tender and the sauce has a rich flavour
Diego made a big pot of beef stew with carrots and potatoes for the family dinner.
countable: a stew; common ingredients: beef, carrots, potatoes
The restaurant serves a seafood stew with fresh fish, shrimp, and mussels in tomato broth.
On cold rainy days, nothing beats a warm bowl of lamb stew with crusty bread.
Olga's chicken stew smelled so good that the neighbours came over to ask for the recipe.
A good stew needs at least an hour of slow cooking for the flavours to develop fully.
用法筆記
Can be countable ('a stew,' 'different stews') when referring to specific dishes, or uncountable ('a bowl of stew') as a food substance. Common modifiers include the type of meat: 'beef stew,' 'chicken stew,' 'lamb stew,' 'fish stew.'
常見錯誤
2. a condition of being very anxious, upset, or confused — usually about something
a condition of being very anxious, upset, or confused — usually about something that bothers you and that you cannot easily put right
Ananya has been in a terrible stew ever since she lost her wallet on the train.
in a stew — fixed phrase with 'in a'
The whole office was in a stew when they heard the company might move to another city.
After the argument with his brother, Theo was in a stew for the rest of the evening.
Kofi was in such a stew about the exam results that he could not eat anything.
- panic
stronger and more sudden; implies a loss of control that 'stew' does not necessarily suggest
- state of agitation
more formal; describes restless movement rather than silent worry
- fluster
suggests confusion and hurry, not the lingering worry typical of a stew
文法句型
in a stew (about/over something)
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed expression 'in a stew' (singular only), followed by 'about' or 'over' + the cause of worry. More common in British English than American. Distinguish from sense verb/2: the noun describes the emotional state itself, while the verb describes the act of worrying silently.
常見錯誤
stew — verb
- stewpresent simple I / you / we / they
- stews3rd person singular
- stewing-ing form
- stewedpast simple
1. to prepare food by keeping it in liquid at a low temperature in a covered pot fo
to prepare food by keeping it in liquid at a low temperature in a covered pot for a long time, so that the ingredients become tender and release their flavours into the liquid
Keiko stewed the chicken with ginger, soy sauce, and mushrooms for dinner.
transitive: stew + chicken; with additional ingredients
The lamb needs to stew in the covered pot for at least two hours until it becomes tender.
intransitive: needs to stew; duration + result
Olga stewed the apples with cinnamon and sugar for the dessert filling.
While the beef stewed slowly on the stove, the children set the table for lunch.
The recipe says to stew the vegetables in a covered pot over very low heat for an hour.
- simmer
refers specifically to the gentle bubbling stage just below boiling; stewing includes simmering but implies longer cooking
- braise
cooking in a small amount of liquid after first browning the meat in fat; more specific technique than stew
- casserole
verb form less common; suggests oven cooking with a topping
文法句型
stew + object
stew (no object) — food stews
用法筆記
Can be used transitively ('stew the meat') or intransitively ('the meat stewed'). The intransitive use often appears with 'let it stew' or 'needs to stew.' Common in recipe instructions. The cooking process is slower than boiling or simmering.
常見錯誤
2. to stay quietly angry or worried about something, without talking about it or ta
to stay quietly angry or worried about something, without talking about it or taking any action to feel better
Instead of stewing about the criticism, Mei-Lin asked her boss for specific advice.
stew about + topic; alternative action pattern
Diego stewed quietly in his seat after the referee made a bad call against his team.
stewed quietly — adverb collocation
Rosa stewed in her apartment all weekend after her boss rejected the project proposal.
Elena stewed all afternoon because her roommate forgot to pay the electricity bill.
Rather than stew in silence, Fatima decided to tell her friend exactly how she felt.
文法句型
stew about/over something
stew in silence
用法筆記
Intransitive only. Always takes a prepositional phrase ('about/over + something') or an adverb ('quietly,' 'in silence'). Frequently appears in constructions advising against the behaviour: 'don't stew,' 'instead of stewing,' 'there's no point stewing.' Distinguish from sense noun/2: the verb emphasises the ongoing mental activity, while the noun describes the static emotional condition.
常見錯誤
3. to remain somewhere doing nothing useful, often because you are waiting for some
to remain somewhere doing nothing useful, often because you are waiting for something or someone and have no clear way to occupy yourself
With no internet connection, the office staff just stewed at their desks all morning.
stewed at + place; situation of waiting
Instead of stewing at home waiting for the repairman, Aisha went for a walk in the park.
The students stewed in the classroom for twenty minutes before the substitute teacher arrived.
Jack spent the whole afternoon stewing in his room instead of looking for a job online.
- loll around
suggests physical laziness or lying about, not the trapped, waiting quality of stew
- sit around
neutral and general; lacks the critical tone that 'stew' carries in this sense
- twiddle one's thumbs
more vivid idiom suggesting boredom, but implies you could be doing something else
文法句型
stew + at/in/around + place
用法筆記
Intransitive only. Takes a location phrase ('at his desk,' 'in the office,' 'at home'). The sense is always critical or disapproving — the speaker thinks the person should be doing something else. More common in British English than American. Can overlap with sense verb/2 when the inactivity is caused by worry.