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Glite Dictionary
to simmer up

to simmer up

4.7
To cook a liquid slowly just below boiling
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈsɪmər ʌp/
translation icon : cocinar a fuego lento
  • She waited for the soup to simmer up before adding the spices.

Examples

  • You need to simmer up the sauce for about ten minutes.

  • Let the sauce simmer up on low heat until it thickens.

  • The chef told us to simmer up the broth slowly for the best flavor.

  • Please simmer the soup up until it thickens.

  • Let the sauce simmer up on low heat for about 30 minutes to enhance the flavors.

  • You should simmer up the vegetables gently to keep them tender and flavorful.

  • After bringing the soup to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer up for an hour.

Synonyms

to simmer
vsto simmer up
92 2.5

To cook gently in liquid just below boiling so small bubbles form

is about reaching or cooking at that gentle, just below boiling temperature
to braise
vsto simmer up
  • Specialized
18 5.4

Cook meat or vegetables slowly in a little liquid in a covered pan

uses open gentle low heat just below boiling rather than covered small liquid cooking
to stew
vsto simmer up
14 1.3

To cook food slowly in liquid over low heat

focuses on long slow cooking rather than brief gentle near boiling heating
to coddle
vsto simmer up
1 6.2

Cook food gently in water that is almost boiling, especially eggs

applies broadly to liquids or dishes, not just egg cooking
to let simmer
vsto simmer up
1 2.7

Allow food to cook slowly at low heat just below boiling

means to reach or maintain that gentle low temperature rather than to allow it
to scald
vsto simmer up
1 4.8

To heat milk until very hot but not boiling

is cooking gently below boiling with slow bubbling rather than just heating near boil

Antonyms

to cool
256 1.0

To make or become less warm

How Hot

to boil
269 1.0
to simmer up
4.7
to heat
298 1.0
to warm
488 1.0

Surface Forms

simmer up infinitive
simmered up past
simmered up past participle
simmering up present participle
simmers up third person singular

Morphology

simmer + up

The meaning 'to reach a gentle boiling point' is directly derivable from combining 'simmer' (to cook gently with small bubbles) with the particle 'up' which signals raising or increasing; together they indicate bringing the liquid to that gentle boiling state. This verb+up compositional pattern is common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

Simmer up comes from the simple image of a pot on low heat. As the liquid slowly warms, tiny bubbles rise up from the bottom and simmer means slow, gentle heating, so simmer up means 'to cook gently at low heat, just below boiling'.