Word a Day
fulminate
What does fulminate mean?
fulminate (verb): criticize severely.
Definition: Princeton WordNet 3.1.
How do you pronounce fulminate?
/ˈfʊlməˌneɪt/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does fulminate come from?
Inherited from Middle English fulminaten, borrowed from Latin fulminātus, perfect passive participle of fulminō (“to lighten, hurl or strike with lightning”), from fulmen (“lightning which strikes and sets on fire, thunderbolt”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “fulminate”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “fulminate” mean?
to annoy, irritate
Not quite: that's what vex means.
provoke or stir up
Not quite: that's what instigate means.
criticize severely
Right! That's what “fulminate” means.
move or draw apart
Not quite: that's what diverge means.
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