ferment

1 of 2

verb

fer·​ment (ˌ)fər-ˈment 

fermented; fermenting; ferments

intransitive verb

1

: to undergo fermentation

The wine ferments in oak barrels.

2

: to be in a state of agitation or intense activity

everything ferments in him—his thoughts, sensations, and memories; nothing stays quiet

—Janet Flanner

transitive verb

1

: to cause to undergo fermentation

Yeast ferments the sugar in the juice.

2

: to work up (as into a state of agitation) : foment

fermentable

(ˌ)fər-ˈmen-tə-bəl 

adjective

ferment

2 of 2

noun

fer·​ment ˈfər-ˌment 

also

(ˌ)fər-ˈment 

1

a

: a living organism (such as a yeast) that causes fermentation by virtue of its enzymes

b

: enzyme

2

a

: a state of unrest : agitation

b

: a process of active often disorderly development

the great period of creative ferment in literature

—William Barrett

Synonyms

Verb

• abet
• brew
• foment
• incite
• instigate
• pick
• provoke
• raise
• stir (up)
• whip (up)

Noun

• disquiet
• fermentation
• restiveness
• restlessness
• Sturm und Drang
• turmoil
• uneasiness
• unquietness
• unrest

Examples of ferment in a Sentence

Verb

The wine ferments in oak barrels.

Yeast ferments the sugar in the juice.

Noun

The city was in a state of ferment after the election.

the city was in ferment as its residents nervously awaited the outcome of the referendum vote

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

This second release in the Elements series focuses on where the magic truly begins—the fermentation—dialing up the fermenting period to nearly five full days, twice its normal length. —Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, 24 Dec. 2024

After centuries spent fermenting in the subcontinent, English has turned Indian. —Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024

Noun

Key Ingredients: Glycolic acid, black tea ferment, green tea extract Sulfate-Free: No Size: 13.5 fl. oz. —Emily Orofino, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2024

Why does that era still have such a powerful hold on popular culture? Ms. Seltzer: There’s so much ferment in the ’60s in New York. —Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Latin fermentum yeast — more at barm

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

ferment

1 of 2 verb

fer·​ment (ˌ)fər-ˈment 

1

: to undergo or cause to undergo fermentation

2

: to be or cause to be in a state of unrest or excitement

fermentable

-ˈment-ə-bəl 

adjective

fermenter noun

ferment

2 of 2 noun

fer·​ment ˈfər-ˌment 

1

: an agent (as a yeast) that is capable of causing fermentation

2

: a state of unrest or excitement

Medical Definition

ferment

1 of 2 intransitive verb

fer·​ment (ˌ)fər-ˈment 

: to undergo fermentation

transitive verb

: to cause to undergo fermentation

fermentable

-ə-bəl 

adjective

ferment

2 of 2 noun

fer·​ment

ˈfər-ˌment also (ˌ)fər-ˈ

1

a

: a living organism (as a yeast) that causes fermentation by virtue of its enzymes

b

: enzyme

2

: fermentation