1(of water or food) stay just below the boiling point while being heated.

1. 1.1with object Keep (food) just below boiling when cooking or heating it.
   ‘simmer the sauce gently until thickened’
   More example sentences

   • ‘The resulting cooking liquid is simmered, seasoned, and served as the accompanying sauce.’
   • ‘He's standing at the stove, simmering spaghetti sauce.’
   • ‘For the young, brought up on MTV and quickie meals and express lines, will spending hours and hours lovingly simmering a pot of degchi mutton be something futile and unimaginable?’
   • ‘Passing from deep snowbanks and icy air into a small narrow room with a low ceiling, a bare bulb, and a woodstove upon which simmered a pot of rose-hip tea, we commenced to be steam-cooked with hospitality.’
   • ‘Skim off any froth that builds on the top - simmer them until they start to break up, then pour the lentils into the vegetable mixture.’
   • ‘Name all your ingredients with the correct measurements given and the length of time you would simmer the stew.’
   • ‘Second, simmer the sauce for as long and over as low a heat as possible.’
   • ‘If you like a lighter, thinner sauce that tastes like the tomatoes weren't simmered for hours, it's worth a trip to a natural food store like Whole Foods to find this line.’
   • ‘Always remember to simmer the soup, not boil it.’
   • ‘Pappa al pomodoro is just what the name suggests - a pap, or mush, made by soaking and simmering stale bread in a tomato sauce.’
   • ‘The slightly sweetened pumpkin is simmered until very tender, then covered with garlic-flavoured yoghurt.’
   • ‘The meat is gently simmered for hours and hours until very tender.’
   • ‘And then made sure I simmered the sauce long enough to ensure the potato was cooked.’
   • ‘The natural cycle of a charcoal fire in a kettle barbecue matches the stages of cooking paella: browning the chicken, simmering the broth, and cooking the rice.’
   • ‘Add chicken stock, season liberally and then simmer the soup for about 40 minutes until all the ingredients are cooked and soft.’
   • ‘The whole thing was simmered in a mild broth, with plenty of garlic and maybe some white wine.’
   • ‘Try simmering it in chicken stock before you mash it, or perhaps adding it in small cubes to a bean soup.’
2. 1.2Be in a state of suppressed anger or excitement.
   ‘she was simmering with resentment’
   More example sentences

   • ‘Another reason why this family drama works is every performance is strong and simmering with resentments and disappointments.’
   • ‘Her speech certainly had the noble accent it acquired when she was simmering with suppressed anger.’
   • ‘He simmers with anger and embarrassment for a few days, then confronts Abe for picking on him because he's ‘not a professional.’’
   • ‘Still simmering with anger, Lebo bowed reluctantly.’
   • ‘Timon stood back up, glaring down at the boy, his eyes simmering with anger.’
   • ‘She is simmering with a quiet anger at the state of her marriage to a laid back academic.’
   • ‘Members of the missing Japanese citizens' families continue to simmer with anger after the three rounds of inconclusive talks.’
   • ‘Our security increasingly depends on the hope and progress of other nations now simmering in despair and resentment.’
   • ‘Would you simply simmer with resentment, or would you chalk it up, perhaps, to the colleague's superior level of experience?’
   • ‘Anger in the community had been simmering long before the death.’
   • ‘It's a safe bet that the yob putting his dukes up has been soberly simmering all week, but in loosening his inhibitions, it has all come flooding out.’
   • ‘I simmered a bit and put her remark down to her lack of understanding of classic cars.’
   Synonyms

   be furious, be enraged, be angry, be incensed, be infuriated, be beside oneself, have lost one's temper, have a fit, boil, seethe, be boiling over, chafe, rage, be in a rage, rant, rave, rant and rave, storm, fume, smoulder, spit, breathe fire, burn

   View synonyms
3. 1.3simmer downBecome calmer and quieter.
   ‘she gave him time to simmer down after their argument’
   More example sentences

   • ‘Where Good was an energetic collection of unique bouncing melodies, Fiji Baby simmers down with mellow ballads.’
   • ‘Eventually (after 14 cigarettes and two of those carbonated malt beverages) the hatred simmers down and turns into pity.’
   • ‘Straight ahead, simmering down or getting ready for another blowup?’
   • ‘Since the chevrons went up I'd say accidents have simmered down.’
   • ‘There are certainly a lot of people on all sides of this who don't want it simmered down, who want it to keep boiling up for their own political and ideological purposes.’
   • ‘After the guy who had called me blasphemous simmered down enough to articulate what he liked about it, he said that ‘it's got that feel of the grand Disney movie.’’
   • ‘After I'd simmered down a bit and savored the sweet release of tension, I realized that I needed to acknowledge how much the thought of his departure from my life had affected me.’
   • ‘The debate has simmered down now to wondering which message they lacked - the centrist or the leftist one, neither of which seems all that promising.’
   • ‘Then, almost as abruptly as it came, it simmered down following the ‘drug wars’ of the 1980s and early 1990s.’
   • ‘Those squalls have since simmered down just a little bit.’
   • ‘They flashed terrifically, then quickly simmered down to pin points of dazzling white, burning ferociously.’
   • ‘Is there continuing jubilation, or has it simmered down a lot?’
   • ‘The fire, which later simmered down into a soft golden glow was almost entirely forgotten until the embers were fanned to life by a gust of wind.’
   • ‘I mean, there is a news hole now because the war has simmered down a bit.’
   • ‘This brawl simmered down and as referee Pat Moran was dealing with the starting culprits.’
   • ‘After a period of about half an hour of escalating tension and violence from the police, things simmered down.’
   • ‘I'll try to make her simmer down a little.’
   • ‘‘Now that there's no legal basis, I think all these conflicts will simmer down,’ she said.’
   • ‘When the party began to simmer down, Melanie started to have a headache so she walked into the billiards room to sit on one of the un-occupied leather couches.’
   • ‘After you simmer down and consider the qualified arguments made against you, I will look forward to your reply - public or private.’
   Synonyms

   become less angry, cool off, cool down, be placated, let someone smooth one's ruffled feathers, contain oneself, control oneself, become calmer, calm down, become quieter, loosen up, settle, settle down

   View synonyms

A state or temperature just below boiling point.