foment

[ foh-ment ]

/ foʊˈmɛnt /

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See synonyms for: foment / fomenter on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to instigate or foster (discord, rebellion, etc.); promote the growth or development of: to foment trouble; to foment discontent.

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

OTHER WORDS FOR foment

1 incite, provoke, arouse, inflame, excite, stir up; encourage, stimulate.

See synonyms for foment on Thesaurus.com

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM foment

fo·ment·er, nounun·fo·ment·ed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH foment

ferment, foment

Words nearby foment

folly, Folsom, Folsom man, Folsom point, Fomalhaut, foment, fomentation, fomes, fomite, fomites, FOMO

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use foment in a sentence

Brand safety isn’t a new topic with 2021, but it’s taking on more importance as companies work to avoid any potential fallout from being seen parallel to extremist political movements that have fomented on social media platforms like Facebook.
Facebook testing brand safety topic exclusions for advertisers|Carolyn Lyden|January 29, 2021|Search Engine Land
He complained of election fraud before anyone had even voted, and he fomented that lie afterward in his defeat.
How to avoid another election year like 2020|Jen Kirby|January 15, 2021|Vox
We must not allow an American president to walk away without repercussions for the violence and insurrection he fomented.
Harvard, Stanford, Yale: Denounce sedition of your graduates|Peter Rosenstein|January 14, 2021|Washington Blade
The Lincoln Project will also target advertising for these corporations’ workers, hoping to “destabilize the companies’ operations by fomenting employee rebellions,” said Steve Schmidt, co-founder of the Lincoln Project.
Campaign finance system rocked as firms pause or halt contributions after election results challenged|Todd Frankel, Jeff Stein, Tony Romm|January 11, 2021|Washington Post

Following reports of genocide in Myanmar, Facebook banned the country’s top general and other military leaders who were using the platform to foment hate.
Users, not tech executives, should decide what constitutes free speech online|Amy Nordrum|January 9, 2021|MIT Technology Review
More importantly, he has frustrated other separatists and those who would foment separatist movements, like China and Russia.
Scotland Says Resounding ‘No’ to Independence|Nico Hines|September 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Given all of this, Iran is apparently disinclined to foment a political rebellion against Maliki among the Shia.
How Iran and America Can Beat ISIS Together|Ben Van Heuvelen|June 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They can exacerbate splits within a ruling leadership, foment popular unrest, or expedite a dwindling current account.
Why Aren’t Sanctions Stopping Putin?|Meghan L. O’Sullivan|May 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Cubans claim Gross was a spy who was trying to foment revolution.
Raul Castro Reaches Out to Obama, But Don’t Call It a Thaw|Eli Lake, Josh Rogin|December 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
We tried to foment one against Hamas after it won democratic elections among the Palestinians in 2006.
What Obama Should Have Said|Peter Beinart|August 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Jenny brought in a large basin of warm water and began to foment it first, touching it so tenderly.
It Is Never Too Late to Mend|Charles Reade
There will always be barbarians and cheats who will foment intolerance; but they will not avow it—and that is something gained.
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 10 (of 10)|Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)
They have also a pious ambition for religious ascendancy, and do what they can to foment a holy zeal against Nonconformists.
The World's Greatest Books, Volume 19|Various
There is one thing that would ease the pain and heal the leg all the sooner, and that is plenty of hot water to foment the part.
Heroines That Every Child Should Know|Various
Riel, the leader, escaped, to return later and foment another outbreak in 1885.
The Stamps of Canada|Bertram Poole

British Dictionary definitions for foment

foment

/ (fəˈmɛnt) /

verb (tr)

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

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

Derived forms of foment

fomentation (ˌfəʊmɛnˈteɪʃən), nounfomenter, noun

Word Origin for foment

C15: from Late Latin fōmentāre, from Latin fōmentum a poultice, ultimately from fovēre to foster

usage for foment

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

foment

OTHER WORDS FOR foment

Origin of foment

OTHER WORDS FROM foment

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH foment

Words nearby foment

Words related to foment

How to use foment in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for foment

Derived forms of foment

Word Origin for foment

usage for foment