Foment
/foʊˈmɛnt/
verbC1
Definition
Foment means to cause or encourage bad feelings, problems, or actions to grow. People often use it when someone is trying to start arguments, fights, or disagreements. It is usually about making a difficult or dangerous situation worse by pushing others to act.
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See It in Action
To encourage or cause bad feelings or trouble
- •The leader was accused of fomenting unrest among the workers.
- •They tried to foment rebellion against the government.
- •His speech fomented anger in the crowd.
To promote or stir up strong emotions or conflict
- •The article fomented fear about the new policy.
- •Certain groups fomented distrust between communities.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'foment' like 'start,' but for trouble or strong feelings—not just any start, but one that makes problems bigger
- ✓Picture someone pouring fuel on a small fire to make it grow bigger and harder to control
- ✓It's the feeling when someone talks to make people angry or upset on purpose, like stirring a pot of hot soup to make it boil over
- ✓Sounds like 'foam-MENT' → imagine foam growing bigger and bigger on top of water, just like problems growing when you foment them
- ✓Think of stories where a villain foments rebellion by making people angry at the king, encouraging them to fight
- ✓NOT like 'help' (which is good), foment is about encouraging bad or difficult things to happen
- ✓NOT like 'argue' (which is just to talk), foment means to cause or encourage others to argue or fight
- ✓NOT like 'start' (which is general), foment is specific to starting trouble or strong negative feelings
Try Other Words
- •Incite: to encourage people to do something bad or violent (Use when talking about causing actions like protests or fights)
- •Stir up: to cause strong feelings or trouble (Use in informal speech for causing emotions or problems)
- •Provoke: to cause a reaction, often anger or irritation (Use when someone causes others to react strongly)
- •Encourage: to give support or confidence (Use when the meaning is positive, opposite of foment)
Unboxing
- •Prefix: none
- •Root: 'foment' from Latin 'fomentum' meaning 'a warm bath or fomentation' (used to mean warming or stirring up)
- •Etymology: From Latin 'fomentum,' originally meaning a warm application to the body to help heal; later used metaphorically to mean stirring up feelings or actions
- •Historical development: First used in English in the 15th century, originally in medical sense, then took on the meaning of stirring up trouble or feelings
- •Modern usage: Mostly used in formal or serious contexts to describe causing or encouraging unrest, conflict, or strong negative feelings
Reflect & Connect
•Can foment ever be used in a positive way, or is it always about causing trouble? Why or why not?
•How does understanding foment help you see how words can describe the way people influence others' feelings or actions?
Fill in the blanks
1.The politician was accused of foment ___ among the citizens to gain support for his cause.
2.When someone tries to foment ___, they often use strong words to make people angry.
3.Unlike peaceful discussion, fomenting usually ___ conflict or disagreement.
4.The speech was meant to foment ___, but it ended up calming the crowd.
5.People who foment ___ often want to change things by causing problems.
6.To foment trouble, one might ___ others to act without thinking.
7.The government took action to stop groups that foment ___ against the law.