Meaning & use
ferment
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To go through a chemical change caused by yeast, bacteria, or other microorganisms, often making alcohol or acid.
Grammar: Can be used with an object (ferment grapes) or without (the juice fermented).
Patterns
- ferment something
- something ferments
- ferment for a time
Winemakers ferment grape juice to turn it into wine.
The dough needs to ferment for at least eight hours.
Bacteria ferment the sugars in milk, giving yogurt its tangy taste.
noununcountableformal
A state of excitement, unrest, or change in a group or society.
Grammar: Used without 'a' or 'an' when talking about a general atmosphere: in a ferment of ideas.
Patterns
- in a ferment
- a ferment of something
- political ferment
The 1960s were a time of political ferment in many countries.
The city was in a ferment of new ideas and art.
His book captures the intellectual ferment of the period.
Word forms
| third person singular | ferments |
|---|---|
| past tense | fermented |
| past participle | fermented |
| -ing form | fermenting |
Common combinations
- ferment naturally
- These olives ferment naturally in salt water.
- ferment for days
- The cabbage must ferment for several days.
- ferment sugars
- Yeast ferments sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
- political ferment
- The country experienced years of political ferment.
Synonyms and how they differ
- brew
- Often used for making beer or tea; 'ferment' is the scientific process and can apply to many foods.
- sour
- Means to become acid; 'ferment' is broader and can produce alcohol as well as acid.
- unrest
- A noun for trouble or dissatisfaction; 'ferment' as a noun suggests creative or political excitement, not necessarily violence.
Word family
- fermentation noun
- The process of fermenting.
- fermented adjective
- Describing food or drink that has undergone fermentation.
- fermenter noun
- A container or organism that causes fermentation.
Commonly confused: ferment or foment?
ferment vs foment
'Foment' means to stir up trouble or violence; 'ferment' as a verb is about chemical change, and as a noun it can mean excitement but not active troublemaking.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
Option 0 correctly uses the intransitive verb 'ferment' in the present continuous. Option 1 confuses 'ferment' with 'foment', which means to stir up trouble. Option 2 uses the wrong preposition. Option 3 has incorrect verb form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ferment”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.