percolate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
percolates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
percolated,
past participle, past
-
percolating
present participle
-
to cause (a liquid) to pass through a porous body; filter.
-
(of a liquid) to filter through; permeate.
-
to brew (coffee) in a percolator.
verb (used without object)
-
percolates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
percolated,
past participle, past
-
percolating
present participle
-
to pass through a porous substance; filter; ooze; seep; trickle.
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to become percolated.
The coffee is starting to percolate.
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to become active, lively, or spirited.
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to show activity, movement, or life; grow or spread gradually; germinate.
Interest in the idea has begun to percolate.
noun
verb
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to cause (a liquid) to pass through a fine mesh, porous substance, etc, or (of a liquid) to pass through a fine mesh, porous substance, etc; trickle
rain percolated through the roof
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to permeate; penetrate gradually
water percolated the road
-
informal (intr) to become active or lively
she percolated with happiness
-
to make (coffee) or (of coffee) to be made in a percolator
noun
Pronunciation
The pronunciation of percolate as , with an intrusive y -glide, results from analogy with words like circulate and matriculate, where the unstressed vowel following the k -sound is symbolized by a u spelling, making the y -glide mandatory. In similar words where is followed by some other vowel, the represents a hypercorrection. The pronunciation of escalate as is another such example. See coupon, new.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
percolatesimple
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percolatessimple
-
have percolatedperfect
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has percolatedperfect
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am percolatingprogressive
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are percolatingprogressive
-
is percolatingprogressive
-
have been percolatingperfect progressive
-
has been percolatingperfect progressive
Past
-
percolatedsimple
-
had percolatedperfect
-
was percolatingprogressive
-
were percolatingprogressive
-
had been percolatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of percolate
1620–30; < Latin percōlātus, past participle of percōlāre to filter. See per-, colander, -ate 1
Explanation
When something percolates, it spreads gradually. If the news of your victory in the spelling bee spread slowly through your entire school, you could sit back and enjoy watching it percolate. When a liquid percolates, it's filtered through something, and when an idea percolates, it's filtered through a group of people. Percolate often refers specifically to coffee, which is brewed by mixing ground coffee beans with hot water and filtering them through paper — in other words, coffee percolates. The Latin root is percolatus, which comes from per, or "through," plus colare, "to strain."
Vocabulary lists containing percolate
This Week in Pop Culture: December 29, 2018 - January 4, 2019
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This Week In Culture: August 1–6, 2020
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I’m learning that regenerating sometimes is just being quiet and letting ideas percolate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
That focus will likely prove key if the current rotation deepens over the summer months as bond yields rise and inflation pressure percolate.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
But early in the year, core inflation excluding food and energy prices started to percolate, and the war with Iran has seemed to bring inflation to a boil.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
“The broader impact of high global oil prices has yet to percolate through retail inflation as pump fuel prices remain unchanged,” DBS’s economics team said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
Reporters from far-flung cities wired the same observation back to their editors, and stories of delight and awe began to percolate through the most remote towns.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
"It's very much a wait to see how the removal of the tariffs percolates through the supply chain," he added.
From Barron's ● Feb. 20, 2026
“Liberation” percolates with lively humor, as when Lizzie introduces herself as a journalist who writes “obituaries and weddings—which in a way are the same thing.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 21, 2025
This happens because carbon dioxide from the air dissolves in rainwater to form carbonic acid - this then percolates through the rock and reacts with it, causing it to dissolve.
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2025
It all percolates in the shadowy urban allure of Paul Guilhaume’s cinematography, especially as it plays across its leading ladies’ faces, turning skin into a mood palette, burnishing all the musical interludes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2024
My heart percolates and my hands begin to sweat.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
The question has percolated for Walmart all year, fueled by its new digital shelf labels and a pair of patents—one to dynamically update prices online and another to recommend prices based on anticipated demand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
The panic has percolated enough that political consultant and data guru Paul Mitchell set up a model predicting the likely makeup of the top two.
From Slate ● Apr. 7, 2026
News of the possible sale had percolated since last year, as Starbucks’ business in China faltered.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2025
They managed to capture water from the swollen Kaweah and Tule rivers, routing flows to basins where the water percolated underground.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2025
We tried to keep our voices down, but excitement percolated through the packed crowd.
From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys
A “Snowfall” sequel has been percolating since the final season, when Bean was informed by producers about plans for a spinoff featuring her and John.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
"We're not the only jurisdiction that's facing that ageing-related crisis, because similar issues are percolating in Australia and England," she said.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Concerns about Gen Z’s financial habits have been percolating for years.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Even in the film’s most convoluted moments, there’s a fire of dissent percolating just beneath its surface.
From Salon ● May 22, 2026
Inside its percolating depths, the manure fermented, generating scalding heat.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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