Simmer Down

Meaning of Idiom ‘Simmer Down’

To simmer down means to become calm after being upset, angry, agitated, or excited; to regain one’s composure; to stop acting in an overly excited, rambunctious, or aggressive way; (in regards to a situation) to become less busy or chaotic.

Sentence Examples

“You kids need to simmer down. I’m trying to read and you are literally bouncing off the walls.”

“Simmer down, now. You don’t know that he is to blame for you getting in trouble.”

“Why don’t you call me back later after you have simmered down a bit.”

“Give him time to simmer down. There is no point in talking to him when he gets like this.”

“I can’t help you right now. Once things have simmered down around here I’ll be able to, though.”

Origin

This idiom derives from cooking, where to simmer means to cook a liquid at a low heat, just below the boiling point. It has been used since the second half of the 1800s.