fulminate

1 of 2

verb

ful·​mi·​nate ˈfu̇l-mə-ˌnāt 

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 regulators

—Mark Singer

fulmination

ˌfu̇l-mə-ˈnā-shən 

ˌfəl-

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.

Synonyms

Verb

• bluster
• huff
• rant
• rave
• spout

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

Verb

Yet the government’s response in all of these cases is uniform: Denounce, fulminate, exaggerate. —Erik Wemple, Washington Post, 5 July 2024

Kent ends the episode fulminating against Madix’s alleged diva behavior in refusing to comply with producers for the sake of their jobs. —Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 21 May 2024

Noun

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

Silver fulminate is an incredibly reactive explosive. —Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 30 June 2022

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Medieval Latin fulminatus, past participle of fulminare, from Latin, to strike (of lightning), from fulmin-, fulmen lightning; akin to Latin flagrare to burn — more at black entry 1

Noun

fulminic acid, from Latin fulmin-, fulmen

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1824, in the meaning defined above

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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