simmer

American  

[sim-er] / ˈsɪm ər /

verb (used without object)

• simmers,
  present (3rd person singular)
• simmered,
  past participle,  past
• simmering
  present participle

1. to cook or cook in a liquid at or just below the boiling point.

2. to make a gentle murmuring sound, as liquids cooking just below the boiling point.

3. to be in a state of subdued or restrained activity, development, excitement, anger, etc..

   The town simmered with rumors.

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verb (used with object)

• simmers,
  present (3rd person singular)
• simmered,
  past participle,  past
• simmering
  present participle

1. to keep (liquid) in a state approaching boiling.

2. to cook in a liquid that is kept at or just below the boiling point.

noun

• simmers
  plural

1. the state or process of simmering.

verb phrase

1. simmer down

   1. to reduce in volume by simmering.

   2. Slang. to become calm or quiet, as from a state of anger or turmoil.

      We waited for the audience to simmer down.

simmer British  

/ ˈsɪmə /

verb

1. to cook (food) gently at or just below the boiling point

2. (intr) to be about to break out in rage or excitement

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noun

1. the act, sound, or state of simmering

Synonym Usage

See boil ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• resimmer
  verb
• unsimmered
  adjective
• unsimmering
  adjective
• simmeringly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• simmers
  plural

Participles

• simmering
  present
• simmered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• simmer
  simple
• simmers
  simple
• have simmered
  perfect
• has simmered
  perfect
• am simmering
  progressive
• are simmering
  progressive
• is simmering
  progressive
• have been simmering
  perfect progressive
• has been simmering
  perfect progressive

Past

• simmered
  simple
• had simmered
  perfect
• was simmering
  progressive
• were simmering
  progressive
• had been simmering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will simmer
  simple
• will have simmered
  perfect
• will be simmering
  progressive
• will have been simmering
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of simmer

First recorded in 1645–55; alteration of earlier simper < ?

Explanation

Usually when you're making a soup, you want to bring it to a boil and then let it simmer, cooking it just below the boiling point to get all the flavors to release. The word simmer is usually used to describe the temperature just below boiling or the process of cooking something at that temperature. But it can also be used to describe a feeling that's been simmering or slowly developing over time. It's also a word used to describe suppressed anger — that feeling just before you boil over. Just in case you do boil over, you might need to take a moment to simmer down, a casual expression that means, "Chill out, my friend."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

simmer simmers simmered simmering

For a stronger peach and pepper flavor, let the mixture simmer toward the longer end of the range.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat as needed to maintain it.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

Analysts expect the current cycle to simmer during Micron’s fiscal 2028, which ends in August 2028.

From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026

But while Martin O'Neill's steadying presence has kept Celtic in the hunt in the title race and Scottish Cup, questions about next season simmer in the background.

From BBC ● May 6, 2026

The windows were all closed, but sun streamed in, heating up the room to a slow simmer and bringing forth the ripe stink of underwashed gentlemen.

From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Chandler flexes the charisma that made his “Friday Night Lights” father figure Coach Taylor such an indelible figure, while Pierre’s buttoned-down smolder slowly simmers the tension between them.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

As the conflict between the U.S. and Iran simmers, investors and consumers are wondering what to expect for oil and fuel prices.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 24, 2026

Outrage simmers among the kids when one of the audience volunteers gets the softball “pineapple.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 24, 2025

Garlic simmers in huge metal pots heated over open wood fires and set up in a long line.

From BBC ● Nov. 23, 2025

She gives him a small smile, and hope simmers in my heart.

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins

Tensions between the two had simmered for weeks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Meaning: Do you want your dish smothered in sauce made from roasted green chiles, or a simmered counterpart fashioned from dried red chile pods?

From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026

On an embroidered picnic laid out on the grass, a group of friends chatted over tea as food simmered gently on a gas stove.

From Barron's ● Apr. 2, 2026

There’s also mille-feuille nabe, a Japanese hot pot dish that’s layered with napa cabbage and thin slices of pork belly simmered in dashi broth.

From Salon ● Feb. 21, 2026

The big pots simmered and boiled, but they must not smoke.

From "Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder

However, analysts said the simmering US-Canada trade row was causing some uncertainty, while the big event on the agenda this week is Nvidia's second-quarter earnings on Wednesday.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

But the growing outrage has inevitably become a flashpoint amid broader, simmering grievances felt by Vietnam's youth.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

"There was anger simmering around me and I was scared for my life," the 36-year-old told AFP.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

But what an image: an observatory dome bubbling out of a boil of smaller domes, like an idea simmering in a crucible.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Coffee in its own can was simmering on its own rock, far enough from the flame so that it did not boil too hard.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• bubble
• burn
• churn
• ferment
• rage
• seethe
• stew
• stir
• warm