MEANING
1. To cook or remain at a temperature with gentle bubbling below a full boil.
2. To remain active beneath the surface without openly erupting.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- simmer gently
- simmer a sauce
On the page
The pot simmered beside the dying fire.
Word forms
- Base
- simmer
- Past tense
- simmered
- Past participle
- simmered
- Present participle
- simmering
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- simmer
- Present continuous
- am/is/are simmering
- Present perfect
- have/has simmered
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been simmering
- Past
- simmered
- Past continuous
- was/were simmering
- Past perfect
- had simmered
- Past perfect continuous
- had been simmering
- Future
- will simmer
- Future continuous
- will be simmering
- Future perfect
- will have simmered
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been simmering
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: simmer; simmers; simmered; simmered; simmering Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: description, character, dialogue. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: simmers.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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