fulminate

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈfʌlmɪneɪt/ UK /ˈfʌlmɪneɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #69100

Meanings

1

verb
come on suddenly and intensely

The disease fulminated.
2

verb
criticize severely

They fulminated against the Republicans' plan to cut Medicare.
3

verb
To issue as a denunciation.

They fulminated the most hostile of all decrees.
4

verb
To strike with lightning; to cause to explode.

The present owners couldn't afford the electric bills anymore, several amateur gaffers, sad to say, having already been fulminated trying to bootleg power in off the municipal lines.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 verb · criticize severely rail

Word family

Forms fulmination

Derived forms infulminateunfulminated

Related forms fulminant

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

mercury fulminate
a sensitive explosive compound of mercury formerly used in ignition devices

Noun + noun

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English fulminaten, borrowed from Latin fulminātus, perfect passive participle of fulminō (“to lighten, hurl or strike with lightning”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from fulmen (“lightning which strikes and sets on fire, thunderbolt”), from earlier *fulgmen, *fulgimen, from fulgeō, fulgō (“flash, lighten”). Doublet of fulmine. More at fulgent.

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# fulminate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈfʌlmɪneɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈfʌlmɪneɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 69100

## Meanings
1. come on suddenly and intensely
2. criticize severely
3. To issue as a denunciation.
4. To strike with lightning; to cause to explode.

## Examples
- The disease fulminated.
- They fulminated against the Republicans' plan to cut Medicare.
- They fulminated the most hostile of all decrees.
- The present owners couldn't afford the electric bills anymore, several amateur gaffers, sad to say, having already been fulminated trying to bootleg power in off the municipal lines.

## Synonyms
- rail

## Derived Forms
- infulminate
- unfulminated

## Related Forms
- fulminant

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English fulminaten, borrowed from Latin fulminātus, perfect passive participle of fulminō (“to lighten, hurl or strike with lightning”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from fulmen (“lightning which strikes and sets on fire, thunderbolt”), from earlier *fulgmen, *fulgimen, from fulgeō, fulgō (“flash, lighten”). Doublet of fulmine. More at fulgent.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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