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Synonyms

simmer

American  
[sim-er] / ˈsɪm ər /

verb (used without object)

  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.

verb (used with object)

  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

  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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the act, sound, or state of simmering

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See boil 1.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of simmer

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

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.

But he could see the hurt simmering below Gingersnipes’s anger, and it would be the biggest lie of all to let her believe he’d wanted her gone simply because he did not like her.

From Literature

“Things could change quickly if Middle Eastern tensions simmer down, but the longer oil routes remain blocked, the more embedded hawkish forecasts will become,” Nathan noted.

From Barron's

The forecast for inflation was also raised, but the Fed still thinks prices will increase less than 3% in 2026, assuming the conflict with Iran simmers down.

From MarketWatch

Traders will have the weekend to let that one simmer.

From Barron's

But one senses that the playwright is at a loss to find a plausible ending after the simmering conflicts have erupted into a full conflagration.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.