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

Ramos brought out a dozen bottles of Garnacha wine, including a 2018 vintage for which the grapes were harvested by hand, spontaneously fermented with airborne yeast, and aged in clay amphorae for about a year. —Megan Lloyd, Travel + Leisure, 7 Dec. 2024

This noble rot concentrates the sugars of the grapes and after they are fermented the resulting wine is deliciously sweet. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 6 Dec. 2024

Noun

The Professional Repairing Scalp Therapy Serum Shampoo relies on white truffle to keep your scalp and hair deeply hydrated while salicylic acid and rice ferment filtrate remove product buildup and excess oil to help reset your scalp. —Devon Abelman, Allure, 2 Oct. 2024

My parents were college students in Beijing in the nineteen-eighties, and were swept up in the democratic ferment that stirred from Eastern Europe to the streets of Seoul. —Chang Che, The New Yorker, 30 July 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