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
• fomenter
  noun
• unfomented
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• fomenting
  present
• fomented
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• foment
  simple
• foments
  simple
• have fomented
  perfect
• has fomented
  perfect
• am fomenting
  progressive
• are fomenting
  progressive
• is fomenting
  progressive
• have been fomenting
  perfect progressive
• has been fomenting
  perfect progressive

Past

• fomented
  simple
• had fomented
  perfect
• was fomenting
  progressive
• were fomenting
  progressive
• had been fomenting
  perfect progressive

Future

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

Catalonia must send “unequivocal signals” that legal security is guaranteed to encourage companies to return, said Josep Sanchez Llibre, chairman of Catalonia’s main business association Foment del Treball.

From Reuters • Oct. 27, 2022

Catalonia’s largest employers’ organization, Foment del Treball, has also expressed wary approval.

From Salon • Aug. 6, 2012

The retablo of the high altar has been attributed to Foment, who constructed those of Saragosse and Huesca.

From The Cathedrals of Northern Spain by Rudy, Charles

Foment the head with cold water for hours together.

From Zoonomia, Vol. II Or, the Laws of Organic Life by Darwin, Erasmus

Foment intrigue and deceit, and thus sow dissension between the ruler and his ministers.

From The Art of War by Sunzi (6th cent. BC)

Related Words

• abet
• arouse
• brew
• incite
• whip up