Meaning & use
percolating
Filtering gradually through a porous substance, or, figuratively, developing slowly beneath the surface.
See it in a sentence
Rainwater was percolating through the sandy soil into the aquifer below.
An idea for the novel had been percolating in her mind for years.
A note on using this word
The figurative sense, meaning an idea is slowly forming, is at least as common in everyday speech as the literal sense about liquid.
Words with a similar meaning
seepingbrewing
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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