foment

American  

[foh-ment] / foʊˈmɛnt /

verb (used with object)

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).

---

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

---

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

• fomentation
  noun
• fomenter
  noun
• unfomented
  adjective

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

Foment cautiously but persistently over the stomach and along the spine.

From Papers on Health by Kirk, Edward Bruce

Foment, Juni, and Berruguete are among the most noted retablo sculptors, but space will not permit of a more prolific classification or analysis.

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

Related Words

• abet
• arouse
• brew
• incite
• whip up