fulminate

1 of 2

verb

ful·​mi·​nate ˈfu̇l-mə-ˌnāt How to pronounce fulminate (audio)
ˈfəl-
fulminated; fulminating

transitive verb

: to utter or send out with denunciation
fulminate a decree

intransitive verb

: to send forth censures or invectives
fulminating against government regulatorsMark Singer
fulmination noun

fulminate

2 of 2

noun

: an often explosive salt (such as mercury fulminate) containing the group −CNO

Did you know?

Lightning strikes more than once in the history of fulminate. That word comes from the Latin fulminare, meaning "to strike," a verb usually used to refer to lightning strikes—it is struck from fulmen, Latin for "lightning." When fulminate was taken up by English speakers in the 15th century, it lost much of its ancestral thunder and was used largely as a technical term for the issuing of formal denunciations by ecclesiastical authorities. In time, its original lightning spark returned, describing intense strikes of a tirade.

Examples of fulminate in a Sentence

Verb She was fulminating about the dangers of smoking. The editorial fulminated against the proposed tax increase.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
All the while, Trump continued to fulminate on the stump. Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 When Reagan fulminated against the Soviet Union, his aides, fearing nuclear war, challenged him. Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024
Noun
When Rebecca complicates their rapprochement by befriending Zoé, Oscar fulminates and doubles down on his sense of victimhood. Marc Weingarten, The Atlantic, 23 Sep. 2024 According to salvage expert Curt Newport, who recovered Liberty Bell 7 in 1999, the detonator percussion caps that served as a triggering mechanism likely contained mercury fulminate. Andy Saunders, Discover Magazine, 21 July 2021 See all Example Sentences for fulminate 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English fulminaten "to direct (condemnation at an offender)," borrowed from Late Latin fulminātus, past participle of fulmināre "to strike down, confound (an opponent)" (Medieval Latin, "to thunder [threats, denunciations]"), going back to Latin, "to strike (of lightning), strike like lightning," derivative of fulmin-, fulmen "lightning," from fulg- (base of fulgēre "to shine brightly, flash, lighten") + -min-, -men, resultative noun suffix — more at phlegm

Noun

borrowed from French, from fulmin-, in acide fulminant "acid from which fulminates are presumed to derive" + -ate -ate entry 1; fulminant present participle of fulminer "to launch a thunderbolt" — more at fulmine

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1824, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fulminate was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near fulminate

Cite this Entry

“Fulminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fulminate. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

fulminate

verb
ful·​mi·​nate
ˈfu̇l-mə-ˌnāt,
ˈfəl-
fulminated; fulminating
: to utter loud or forceful complaints or strong or violent language
fulmination
ˌfu̇l-mə-ˈnā-shən
ˌfəl-
noun
fulminator
ˈfu̇l-mə-ˌnāt-ər
ˈfəl-
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!