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

See Examples For:

foment foments fomented fomenting

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

The text of the newly proposed Bill C-34 lists seven categories of "harmful content", which includes material bullying a child, or that foments hatred, or incites violence.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

There, sharing a theatre stage with a dozen other religious representatives, he urged all religions to live in harmony and shun ideological fundamentalism that foments violence.

From Reuters ● Sep. 3, 2023

In practice, the movement spreads falsehoods and foments conspiracy theories about evolution.

From Scientific American ● May 12, 2023

But if you’re among those who believe that great art rarely foments in the cheerfully well-adjusted, then this one’s for you.

From New York Times ● Aug. 24, 2017

Promises should be motives and foments of prayer.

From A Hind Let Loose Or, An Historical Representation of the Testimonies of the Church of Scotland for the Interest of Christ. With the True State Thereof in All Its Periods by Alexander Shields

The paranoia and fear fomented by the sweeping immigration crackdown in the Midwestern state has led many migrants -- both those with legal status and those without -- to shelter at home, campaigners say.

From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 2026

Ms. Nadell is convincing that anti-Israel movements have fomented antisemitism.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025

The horrific images that have emerged from the area during these hellish recent months have fomented a sea change in the dialogue around it.

From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2025

Sure, there’s the existential dread fomented by these trying times that makes contemplating the present and future near impossible on most days that end with "y."

From Salon ● May 27, 2024

Lander’s rhetoric inflamed passions; he fomented rebellion; he was too uppity to allow to run free.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

The sheer reach of the Cyclospora parasite indicates other contributors at play, and despite expert recommendations to the contrary, it’s already fomenting a mild panic over produce.

From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026

This is a reference to Greece, which is being accused by some of the protesters of fomenting the trouble.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

Al-Sharaa accused Israel of fomenting internal divisions and said Al-Hijri’s call for international intervention was unacceptable.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 21, 2025

A better strategy would focus on how we can work with our allies, not on fomenting domestic revolutions most of their citizens don’t want.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 11, 2025

Mom is fomenting her own brand of anarchy closer to home.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

Related Words

• abet
• arouse
• brew
• incite
• whip up