Make Your Point > Archived Issues > FOMENT

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connect today's word to others: Foment comes from a Latin word meaning "to warm." Originally, to foment a body part was to bathe it in warm water, lotion, or medicine. Today, to foment something (like anxiety or rebellion) is to stir it up, to instigate it, to fan its flames--so you can see why foment is still all about adding heat. Say you've already got a heated situation: a hot mess, a bubbling pot of emotions. You might call that situation a cal____, from the Latin for "cooking pot." (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "FOMENT" To foment something is to stir it up, to help it grow, or to help it spread. That might sound nice, but it's not: we usually foment BAD feelings and BAD effects. Pronunciation: fo MENT (rhymes with "Joe meant") Part of speech: Transitive verb. (Like "eat," "try," and "want," all transitive verbs do something to an object. You eat a banana, try a game, and want a new phone. Likewise, you foment something.) Other forms: fomented, fomenting; fomentation(s), fomenter(s) How to use it: Talk about people and events that foment feelings and things--usually bad feelings and things. What kind of bad things get fomented? Anxiety, distrust, pressure, fear, instability, alarm, unrest, prejudice, hostility, backlash, upheaval, sabotage, rebellion, hysteria, extremism, violence, bloodshed, mayhem, etc. Rarely, we'll use "foment" with a positive tone, and talk about, for example, countries and companies fomenting better employment rates and economic growth, or people and events fomenting understanding and tolerance. examples: It's funny how history can change you from a traitorous fomenter into a national forefather. Dropping our phones just so we can get new ones? That sounds ridiculous, as ridiculous as it would be to foment distrust among married couples just to keep divorce lawyers in business. Still, a study suggests that we do get more careless with our phones when we want an excuse to upgrade them. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "foment" means when you can explain it without saying "incite" or "engender." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "I argue that (doing a certain thing) foments hostility (in or toward) (certain people)." Example: "I argue that delivering special gifts to some, but not all, of the children in a class foments hostility in the children left empty-handed." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month is called Felicitous Names.  A felicitous name for a fictional character is a highly appropriate name, a name that fits that character so perfectly that you just know the writer picked it on purpose. This month, draw on your knowledge of both vocabulary and fiction to pick out the right name for the character described. Enjoy! From our previous issue: Let's pick a straightforward felicitous name for an evil wizard. Will it be Gandalf, Malvel, or Albus? Why? Answer: Mal is Latin for "bad"--think of "maledictions," "maleficent, "malicious," and "malevolent." That brings us to Malvel, the evil wizard from Beast Quest, a series of novels for young children by Adam Blade. Try this today: Would the most felicitous name for a character who mixes and creates colors be Artemis, Iris, or Persephone? Why?  review today's word: 1. One opposite of FOMENT is A. RESTRAIN B. CEMENT C. UNIFY 2. Facebook is working to _____ news articles designed to foment _____. A. spread helpful .. privacy settings B. eliminate wordy .. reader fatigue C. eradicate fake .. blind rage Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. C