Brood is a word with several meanings. As a verb, it can mean to sit on eggs, to seem dark or threatening overheadin the space above your head, or to think sadly and repeatedlyagain and again, many times about something. As a noun, it means a group of young animals born or hatchedcame out of an egg at the same time.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Pronunciation

AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).

Accent: General American English

IPA: /brud/

Easy pronunciation: BROOD (approximate spelling).

Stress: One syllable, so it is fully stressed.

Verb sense: to think moodily or anxiously about something.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Brood Meaning

to keep thinking about something in a sad, worried, or angry way

Part of speech: verb

Definition: think moodily or anxiously about something

Example: He sat alone and brooded about what had gone wrong.

Synonyms for this meaning:

• dwell — Fits the sense of thinking about something repeatedly, especially in a negative way.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Other Meanings of Brood

Meaning 2

to stay quiet and unhappy because you are annoyed

Part of speech: verb

Definition: be in a huff; be silent or sullen

Example: She brooded in the corner after the argument.

Synonyms for this meaning:

• grizzle — Can fit the meaning in some dialectal or informal uses, but it is less common and less direct than brood.
• stew — Can suggest fretful or annoyed silence, but it is not always a perfect substitute.

Meaning 3

to hang over something in a dark, threatening way

Part of speech: verb

Definition: hang over, as of something threatening, dark, or menacing

Example: Storm clouds brooded over the valley.

Synonyms for this meaning:

• hover — Works when something seems to hang above or around something else.
• loom — Works when something appears threateningly large or close.
• bulk large — Possible in formal or literary usage, but less common than hover or loom.

Meaning 4

to sit on eggs to keep them warm until they hatch

Part of speech: verb

Definition: sit on (eggs)

Example: The hen brooded on her eggs.

Synonyms for this meaning:

• incubate — A direct and accurate substitute in this sense.
• cover — Can work in bird-related contexts, but is broader and less specific.
• hatch — Related to the process, but not always a true substitute for sitting on eggs.

Meaning 5

to show annoyance by acting upset and withdrawn

Part of speech: verb

Definition: be in a huff and display one's displeasure

Example: He brooded after being left out of the meeting.

Synonyms for this meaning:

• pout — A good fit when annoyance is shown openly.
• sulk — A strong everyday synonym for this sense.

Meaning 6

a group of young animals or birds born or hatched together

Part of speech: noun

Definition: the young of an animal cared for at one time

Example: The hen was guarding her brood.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Brood Synonyms

Similar Meaning

• dwell

be in a huff; be silent or sullen

• grizzle
• stew

hang over, as of something threatening, dark, or menacing

• hover
• loom
• bulk large

sit on eggs

• incubate
• cover
• hatch

be in a huff and display one's displeasure

• pout
• sulk

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Common Mistakes

• Do not confuse the verb brood meaning 'think anxiously' with the noun brood meaning 'a group of young animals.'
• Do not use brood as a synonym for 'child' or 'children' in general; it usually refers to animals or birds.
• In the egg sense, brood means 'sit on eggs,' not simply 'be around eggs.'

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does brood mean in English?

Brood can mean to think about something in a worried or moody way, to sit on eggs, to hang threateningly overhead, or a group of young animals or birds.

What is a simple synonym for brood?

For the most common verb sense, a simple synonym is dwell. Other senses use different synonyms, such as sulk for the annoyed meaning and incubate for the egg-sitting meaning.

Is brood a noun or a verb?

It can be both. Brood is a verb in several senses, and it is also a noun meaning a group of young animals or birds.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.