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ferment

verb

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fer·ment | \ (ˌ)fər-ˈment

fermented; fermenting; ferments

Definition of ferment

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

ferment

noun

fer·ment | \ ˈfər-ˌment

also (ˌ)fər-ˈment

Definition of ferment (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : a living organism (such as a yeast) that causes fermentation by virtue of its enzymes

b : enzyme

2a : a state of unrest : agitation

b : a process of active often disorderly development the great period of creative ferment in literature— William Barrett

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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 airborne invasion that was sure to come

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The sugars in fruit can ferment in a refrigerator if exposed to yeast. — Michael Ruiz, Fox News, "Squirrel gets drunk off bad pears, teeters on railing, Minnesota woman’s video shows," 26 Nov. 2020 Learn to ferment vegetables, make tofu, brew beer or kombucha. — San Francisco Chronicle, "Food lovers’ holiday gift guide," 24 Nov. 2020 To make up for some of the lost wine, why not ferment some pears? — Esther Mobley, SFChronicle.com, "This Berkeley winemaker lost most of his 2020 red wines to smoke taint. So he fermented some pears," 19 Nov. 2020 Alaskan wineries ferment such fruits as the salmonberry. — Elin Mccoy, Bloomberg.com, "Toast Your Thanksgiving With a Rosé From Texas or a Vermont Red," 19 Nov. 2020 Harsh winters in Korea made food preservation essential, and one method consisted of salting vegetables, among other foods, and storing them underground in earthenware containers to ferment. — Amber Lee, Bon Appétit, "My Fridge Isn’t Complete Without a Massive Jar of Kimchi," 13 Nov. 2020 This means white wine grapes are left to ferment with their skins, similar to the way red wine is made. — Tirion Morris, The Arizona Republic, "Forget pumpkin spice lattes. Here's why orange wine is the perfect fall drink for Arizona," 8 Oct. 2020 Prebiotics help to ferment beneficial bacteria in the gut, including bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. — Cynthia Sass, Mph, Health.com, "5 Health Benefits of Honey, According to a Nutritionist," 28 Aug. 2020 As animal fiber makes its way through the digestive tract, microbes partially ferment it. — Anna Diamond, Smithsonian Magazine, "Why Is Ivory So Precious? And More Questions From Our Readers," 10 July 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The attack on the Capitol was a predictable apotheosis of a months-long ferment. — Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, "Among the Insurrectionists," 15 Jan. 2021 Governments, of course, remain free to regulate tech companies, another area of ferment. — Barbara Ortutay, Anchorage Daily News, "Tech giants banned Trump. What happens next for social platforms and free speech?," 12 Jan. 2021 Most of the Moscow workshops now under threat were established in the 1960s, a time of relative economic prosperity and a great deal of political and cultural ferment in the USSR. — Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, "Capitalism over culture? Moscow’s artists face eviction amid urban renewal.," 16 Dec. 2020 And yet, instead of embracing Harding’s normalcy, the Roaring Twenties became a ferment of forward-looking, risk-taking social, industrial and artistic novelty. — The Economist, "Covid-19 in 2020 The year when everything changed," 16 Dec. 2020 Let the batter ferment for a few hours or overnight. — Janelle Bitker, SFChronicle.com, "The best cookbooks of 2020," 2 Dec. 2020 Since the Trump Presidency began, a progressive ferment has bubbled in communities across the country. — Michael Luo, The New Yorker, "The Work of Saving Democracy Must Go On After Trump," 12 Nov. 2020 The intact grapes ferment on the inside, eventually bursting and producing effusively fruity aromas and flavors. — Washington Post, "We deserve ‘nouveau’ wine in 2020 — a vintage meant to be fun and drunk right away," 20 Nov. 2020 At a time of unprecedented ferment against Thailand’s monarchy, she and her unusual role have been thrust into the spotlight. — Shashank Bengali, Los Angeles Times, "The Thai king’s companion vanished after upsetting the queen. Now she’s back in the spotlight," 18 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ferment.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.