foment

American  

[foh-ment] / foʊˈmɛnt /

verb (used with object)

foments, present (3rd person singular) fomented, past participle, past fomenting present participle

1. to instigate or foster (discord, rebellion, etc.); promote the growth or development of.

   to foment trouble; to foment discontent.

   Synonyms:

   stimulate, encourage, excite, inflame, arouse, provoke, incite

2. to apply warm water or medicated liquid, ointments, etc., to (the surface of the body).

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foment British  

/ ˌfəʊmɛnˈteɪʃən, fəˈmɛnt /

verb

1. to encourage or instigate (trouble, discord, etc); stir up

2. med to apply heat and moisture to (a part of the body) to relieve pain and inflammation

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Usage

Both foment and ferment can be used to talk about stirring up trouble: he was accused of fomenting/fermenting unrest . Only ferment can be used intransitively or as a noun: his anger continued to ferment (not foment ); rural areas were unaffected by the ferment in the cities

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• fomentation
  noun
• unfomented
  adjective
• fomenter
  noun

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have fomented
  perfect
• has fomented
  perfect 3rd person singular
• is fomenting
  progressive 3rd person singular
• has been fomenting
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• am fomenting
  progressive 1st person singular
• foments
  singular 3rd person
• have been fomenting
  perfect progressive
• fomenting
  participle
• are fomenting
  progressive

Past

• had fomented
  perfect
• was fomenting
  progressive singular
• were fomenting
  progressive plural
• fomented
  participle
• fomented
  simple
• had been fomenting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will foment
  simple
• will have fomented
  perfect
• will have been fomenting
  perfect progressive
• will be fomenting
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of foment

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English fomenten, from Late Latin fōmentāre, verbal derivative of Latin fōmentum “soothing application, poultice,” contraction of unattested fōvimentum, equivalent to fōv(ēre) “to keep warm” + -i- -i- + -mentum -ment

Explanation

Stand outside the school cafeteria passing out flyers with nutritional details on school food, and you may foment a revolution — foment means stirring up something undesirable, such as trouble. You would never say, "Hooray, we fomented a revolution." Instead you'd say, "Those good for nothing scalawags fomented the rebellion." Don't confuse foment and ferment. Ferment can mean "to stir up" in a good way — a football game can ferment excitement in a town, or foment trouble through traffic tie-ups and litter.

Example Sentences

When such state threats are systematized, they can foment a broader climate of fear, self-censorship and conformity.

From Salon • May 28, 2026

Never has the U.S. managed to foment regime change from the air alone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

They can inflame internal and external tensions and foment uncertainty.

From Barron's • Mar. 7, 2026

Those contests, like many others, involved months of trash-talking on both sides, and often foment internal warfare.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025

Also, some growers’ associations, threatened by the return of interned farmers, had been using the war as a way to foment hostile feelings in the major farming areas.

From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston

Related Words

• abet
• arouse
• brew
• incite
• whip up