foment

ferment, foment

1. Ferment is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable as a noun and with the stress on the second syllable as a verb.

2. As verbs, ferment and foment are often confused because they are pronounced approximately the same way and their uses overlap in their figurative meanings. To ferment means literally ‘to effervesce or cause to effervesce’ (from Latin fervēre meaning ‘to boil’) and figuratively ‘to excite or become excited’; and so it can be transitive (with an object) or intransitive: you can ferment trouble or trouble can ferment. Foment means literally ‘to bathe with warm or medicated liquid’ (from Latin fomentum meaning ‘poultice’) and figuratively ‘to instigate or stir up’ (especially trouble). Foment is only transitive: you can foment trouble but trouble cannot foment. Examples:

• Gladstone's complaint in 1874 that the opposition fomented by the Daily News had been ‘one main cause’ of the weakness of his late government was, of course, a simplism —Times Literary Supplement, 1977

• He hosted the meetings where the rebellion was fomented which ousted Mrs Thatcher from power —Today, 1992

• What are the TUC on about? Why are they fermenting trouble at this of all moments? —People, 2002

• They funded courses in car mechanics and carpentry as a chance to own a business for unemployed young men whose frustration was fermenting dangerously —Sunday Times, 2007.