Simmer down
verb
To become calm or less excited.
After the argument, he needed some time to simmer down.

Often appears as...
- simmer down now
- let's simmer down
Usage tips
Informal
Idiomatic
verb
To lessen in intensity or lessen the heat generated by a situation.
When the discussion started heating up, the teacher intervened to simmer it down.

Often appears as...
- simmer down the argument
- simmer down the discussion
Usage tips
Idiomatic
verb
To become calm or less excited.
After the argument, he needed some time to simmer down.

Often appears as...
- simmer down now
- let's simmer down
Usage tips
Informal
Idiomatic
verb
To lessen in intensity or lessen the heat generated by a situation.
When the discussion started heating up, the teacher intervened to simmer it down.

Often appears as...
- simmer down the argument
- simmer down the discussion
Usage tips
Idiomatic
Definition 1 of 2

Emotional Intensity
Use 'simmer down' when someone is overly emotional and you want them to calm their feelings.

You're really upset now, try to simmer down and we'll talk.
Informal Setting
'Simmer down' is casual and might not be suitable for very formal or serious situations.

The kids were giggling during the game and the coach said, 'simmer down, team!'
Avoid Patronizing
Be careful not to sound condescending when telling someone to 'simmer down'.

I didn't mean to patronize when I said simmer down; I was just concerned.
Emotional Intensity
Use 'simmer down' when someone is overly emotional and you want them to calm their feelings.

You're really upset now, try to simmer down and we'll talk.
Informal Setting
'Simmer down' is casual and might not be suitable for very formal or serious situations.

The kids were giggling during the game and the coach said, 'simmer down, team!'
Avoid Patronizing
Be careful not to sound condescending when telling someone to 'simmer down'.

I didn't mean to patronize when I said simmer down; I was just concerned.
Emotional Intensity
Use 'simmer down' when someone is overly emotional and you want them to calm their feelings.

You're really upset now, try to simmer down and we'll talk.
Informal Setting
'Simmer down' is casual and might not be suitable for very formal or serious situations.

The kids were giggling during the game and the coach said, 'simmer down, team!'
Avoid Patronizing
Be careful not to sound condescending when telling someone to 'simmer down'.

I didn't mean to patronize when I said simmer down; I was just concerned.
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