simmering

simmering — verb

  • simmeringpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • simmerings3rd person singular
  • simmeringing-ing form
  • simmeringedpast simple

1. to prepare food by keeping it in a hot liquid at a temperature just below the po

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to prepare food by keeping it in a hot liquid at a temperature just below the point where bubbles form, so that it softens and the flavours blend without rapid boiling

Example

Rin let the soup simmer on the stove for another twenty minutes.

simmer + on + [stove] + for + [duration] — time and place pattern

Owen simmered the chicken bones with herbs to make a rich stock.

Common collocations
  • simmer gently
  • simmer slowly
  • simmer for [time]
  • simmer until tender
  • simmer in a covered pot
Synonyms
  • boil

    at a higher temperature with large, vigorous bubbles

  • stew

    cook slowly in a closed pot with liquid for a longer time

  • poach

    cook in liquid at a similar temperature, usually for delicate foods like eggs or fish

Antonyms
  • boil vigorously

    cook at a full rolling boil with large bubbles

  • deep-fry

    cook by immersing in hot oil instead of water-based liquid

Grammar Patterns

simmer + noun phrase (object)

simmer + adverb / prepositional phrase

Usage Note

Frequently paired with time expressions (for 20 minutes, all afternoon) and adverbs of intensity (gently, slowly). In transitive use the object is a food item; in intransitive use the food is the subject.

Common Mistakes

Simmer the soup in a rapidly boiling pot.
Simmer the soup over low heat with tiny bubbles.
Simmering means cooking just below the boil, not at a full rolling boil.
Let the water simmer for pasta.
Bring the water to a boil for pasta.
Pasta needs a full boil, not a simmer.

2. used when a bad feeling or dispute stays hidden beneath a calm surface while slo

2.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

used when a bad feeling or dispute stays hidden beneath a calm surface while slowly growing more powerful, to the point where it could suddenly burst out into the open

Example

Resentment had been simmering in the office for months before the argument finally broke out.

[emotion] + had been simmering + for + [duration] + before + [result] — narrative pattern

Imran felt anger simmering inside him as his colleague took credit for his work.

Common collocations
  • simmer with anger
  • simmer beneath the surface
  • long-simmering resentment
  • simmering tension
  • simmering conflict
Synonyms
  • seethe

    stronger and more violent; suggests barely contained fury

  • brew

    develop gradually, often with a sense of inevitability; less emotional charge

  • fester

    implies emotional or interpersonal decay over time; negative and unresolved

Antonyms
  • subside

    gradually become less intense or calm down

  • dissipate

    disappear or be released; stronger sense of vanishing

Grammar Patterns

simmer + adverb / prepositional phrase

Usage Note

Only intransitive — the emotion or conflict is the subject, never the object of the verb. Subject is typically an abstract noun such as anger, resentment, tension, frustration, disagreement, or dispute.

Common Mistakes

She simmered her anger all day.
Her anger simmered inside her all day.
This sense is intransitive; the feeling is the subject, not the direct object.
The disagreement simmered up quickly.
The disagreement simmered for months before anyone addressed it.
Simmering implies a slow, gradual build-up, not a quick process.
Phrasal verbs

simmer down

phrasal verb

to become calmer and less angry after a period of strong emotion

After shouting at everyone, Walid went outside to simmer down before speaking again.

The manager asked the team to take a break and simmer down before continuing the meeting.

simmering — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

All four words describe negative feelings or conflicts that develop gradually beneath the surface, but each emphasises a different quality. Simmer (verb/2) suggests the feeling stays just below the point of open expression and could break out at any moment — like a pot about to boil over. Seethe is stronger and more violent: a person who seethes is barely holding back fury. Brew implies a slower, more involuntary development, as in 'trouble was brewing', often without a clear source. Fester adds the idea of emotional or interpersonal decay — an unresolved grudge that gets worse over time, like an infected wound. Smoulder suggests hidden, long-lasting anger that burns quietly without flames. Choose simmer for build-up with risk of explosion, seethe for barely-contained rage, brew for vague gathering trouble, fester for unresolved bitterness, and smoulder for quiet, enduring resentment.

seethebrew ↗fester ↗smoulder ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • bring to a simmer
  • reduce to a simmer
  • slow simmer

Prepositions

Etymology

Englishimitative origin

The word 'simmer' first appeared in English in the late 1400s, probably created to imitate the soft bubbling sound that a hot liquid makes just before it reaches boiling point. It may be related to the older English word 'simperen', which also described a gentle bubbling movement. The figurative use — for emotions or conflicts building up beneath a calm surface — developed around the 1600s.

First known use

1637

1637, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1 Noun