foment

[ foh-ment ]

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

/ 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

Derived Forms

• fomentation, noun
• foˈmenter, noun

Other Words From

• fo·menter noun
• unfo·mented adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of foment¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of foment¹

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

Example Sentences

U.S. government officials have said that Russia and Iran may themselves seek to foment violence, setting Americans against one another.

From Slate

These include the idea that Europe wants to make Georgian men gay, or that an army of “foreign agents” from the country's vibrant civil society and free media are part of a Western “Global War Party” conspiracy to foment revolution.

From BBC

All this anti-foreigner, anti-immigrant foment by Trump and Vance, the doubling down on hate speech and outright lies, reminds me of Hitler’s election campaign rhetoric leading up to the November 6, 1932, Reichstag elections, inflammatory rhetoric that had already resulted in a foreign worker being bludgeoned to death by a group of rightwing vigilantes in the village of Potempa that August.

From Salon

Trump’s belief that he can foment hatred and infect half the country with it— without falling victim himself—reflects a lack of emotional intelligence.

From Salon

At the very least those local boards can create chaos by refusing to certify the election canvas due to what they will say is suspected fraud and foment more right-wing conspiracy theories.

From Salon

Related Words

• abet
• arouse
• brew
• incite
• whip up