stew
A thick soup containing meat and vegetables cooked slowly. / To cook something slowly in liquid for a long time. / To worry or fret about something in a state of agitation.
Transitive VerbIntransitive Verb[C/U] Both
pl: stewspast: stewedpp: steweding: stewing
The physical act of stewing evokes a sense of warmth, patience, and slow transformation, where separate ingredients merge into a unified, rich whole. It is associated with comfort, home-cooking, and the luxury of time.
Countable when referring to a specific dish or recipe (a spicy stew). Uncountable when referring to the general category of food (I love eating stew).
Meanings
Phrasal Verbs
stew over
to dwell on a problem or mistake with anxiety or resentment
He spent the entire weekend stewing over the critical comment his boss had made.