Nominal Forms
Infinitive: to foment
Participle: fomented
Gerund: fomenting
Cognates
-
Indicative
Present
| I | foment |
| you | foment |
| he;she;it | foments |
| we | foment |
| you | foment |
| they | foment |
Perfect
| I | have fomented |
| you | have fomented |
| he;she;it | has fomented |
| we | have fomented |
| you | have fomented |
| they | have fomented |
Past
| I | fomented |
| you | fomented |
| he;she;it | fomented |
| we | fomented |
| you | fomented |
| they | fomented |
Pluperfect
| I | had fomented |
| you | had fomented |
| he;she;it | had fomented |
| we | had fomented |
| you | had fomented |
| they | had fomented |
Future
| I | will foment |
| you | will foment |
| he;she;it | will foment |
| we | will foment |
| you | will foment |
| they | will foment |
Future Perfect
| I | will have fomented |
| you | will have fomented |
| he;she;it | will have fomented |
| we | will have fomented |
| you | will have fomented |
| they | will have fomented |
Subjunctive
Present
| I | foment |
| you | foment |
| he;she;it | foment |
| we | foment |
| you | foment |
| they | foment |
Perfect
| I | have fomented |
| you | have fomented |
| he;she;it | have fomented |
| we | have fomented |
| you | have fomented |
| they | have fomented |
Imperfect
| I | fomented |
| you | fomented |
| he;she;it | fomented |
| we | fomented |
| you | fomented |
| they | fomented |
Pluperfect
| I | had fomented |
| you | had fomented |
| he;she;it | had fomented |
| we | had fomented |
| you | had fomented |
| they | had fomented |
Conditional
Present
| I | would foment |
| you | would foment |
| he;she;it | would foment |
| we | would foment |
| you | would foment |
| they | would foment |
Perfect
| I | would have fomented |
| you | would have fomented |
| he;she;it | would have fomented |
| we | would have fomented |
| you | would have fomented |
| they | would have fomented |
Imperative
| you | foment |
| we | Let's foment |
| you | foment |
Verbs conjugated like 'foment'
abandon,
abduct,
abear,
aberr,
abject,
abord,
abort,
abound,
abraid,
abray,
abrook,
abscind,
abscond,
absist,
absorb,
abstain,
abstract,
accend,
accent,
accept, etc. (List truncated at 20 verbs)
Verbs similar to 'foment'
cæment,
cement,
comment,
dement,
ferment,
forest,
lament,
omen,
refoment,
romant,
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
- to suddenly excite someone, or to give someone great pleasure
- animate, awaken, call up, electrify, encourage, enflame, enkindle, enliven, enthrill, exagitate, excite, exhilarate, exsuscitate, fillip, fire, fire the blood, galvanise, gin up, inflame, inspirit, intoxicate, invigorate, kindle, liven, liven up, pique, provoke, quicken, rouse, sharpen, stimulate, stir, stir the blood, stir up, stoke, suscitate, thrill, vitalize, wake, warm the blood, whet, work up
- to encourage or persuade into action; to bring about a reaction
- abet, actuate, bring about, encourage, engender, evoke, excite, goad, grill, impel, incite, induce, instigate, invoke, motivate, move, prompt, provoke, rouse, set off, spur, stir, stir up, urge, whip up
- evoke
- arouse, incite, enkindle, excite
Additional Information
Phrasal Verbs
Etymology
1. c.1400 (implied in
fomentation), from M.Fr.
fomenter, from L.L.
fomentare, from L.
fomentum "warm application, poultice," from
fovere "to warm, cherish, encourage." Extended sense of "stimulate, instigate" (1622) was in the Fr.
2. From Middle English fomenten, a borrowing from Old French fomenter, from Late Latin fōmentāre, from Latin fōmentum (“lotion”), from fovēre (“heat, cherish”). See: Middle English '
fomenten'.
Sample Sentences
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He was arrested for fomenting a riot; after all, it's bad enough being in a riot but starting one is much worse.
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Foreign governments have tried to foment unrest.
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The factor which had caused the militant five per cent to relax awhile from fomenting discord was the satellites. Sustained research in rocketry had at last succeeded in attaining one of its objectives. It had sent up a missile which stayed up. [1951, John Wyndham, The Day of the Triffids, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, published 1954, page 28:]
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Blogjects always have some form of agency — they can foment action and participate; they have an assertive voice within the social web. [2006 March 14, Roland Piquepaille, “The new world of 'blogjects'”, in ZDNET, archived from the original on 26 Sep 2023:]
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Boris Johnson and senior Conservative ministers have vigorously condemned the violence in Washington, but have largely steered clear of condemning Trump for fomenting it. [2021 January 7, Peter Walker, “Tories urged to suspend politicians who likened US violence to anti-Brexit protests”, in The Guardian:]
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“Indignation foments extreme behaviour,” the director says of a film he believes will leave audiences wondering: “How far will people go as a result of their anger?” [2023 September 11, Tom Phillips, “‘A Brazilian 9/11’: film tells little-known story of failed 1988 hijacking”, in The Guardian:]
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As figures like Warsi took to the TV and podcast studios the politicians who are normally most vocal when there are divisions to be fomented and culture wars to be fought went awol. [2024 August 10, David Olusoga, “There can be no excuses. The UK riots were violent racism fomented by populism”, in The Guardian:]
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Sties in the eye are irritating and disfiguring. Foment with warm water; at night apply a bread-and-milk poultice. [1876, Eliza Bisbee Duffey, Our Behaviour: A Manual of Etiquette and Dress of the Best American Society, Philadelphia:]
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The maid had entered with us, and began once more to foment the bruise upon her mistress's brow. [1904, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Abbey Grange, Norton, published 2005, page 1178:]