Dictionary

slow burn en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (alt-of, alternative) Alternative form of slow-burn.
   alt of slow-burn

Forms

slow burn en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) Something that emerges or unfolds slowly or gradually.
   • The ‘carbon bomb’ stored in the thawing Arctic permafrost may be released in a slow leak as global warming takes hold, rather than an eruption, according to new research. [see title] 2015 April 9, Karl Mathiesen, “Permafrost 'carbon bomb' may be more of a slow burn, say scientists”, in The Guardian:
   • My own very personal journey into the deepest love of all – that of a parent for a child – was a slow burn. But it left me deeply connected to Milo in a way that I never imagined. 2012 May 5, Jim Keeble, “I was a slow-burn dad”, in The Guardian:
   • Thinking of AI like a bomb makes it seem like something that is deployed in a singular event, albeit one with devastating consequences rather than the slow burn that is consuming jobs and culture. 2023 August 22, Peter Lewis, “AI is not a one-time bomb, but a slow burn of devastation that is consuming jobs and culture”, in The Guardian:
2. (idiomatic) Something that emerges or unfolds slowly or gradually. ▸ A gradually increasing expression of emotion, especially anger or frustration.
   • He's been in a slow burn all morning.
   • In the ninth inning of a game with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Johnny Temple, Cincinnati Redleg second baseman, let a hot grounder sizzle through his legs, looked up to see the Scoreboard flash "error" and began a slow burn. 1957 July 1, “Scoreboard”, in Time, archived from the original on 19 Oct 2011:
   • Revson breathed deeply. “I shall try to conceal my slow burn, what the Victorians would call my mounting exasperation. I thought we had parted friends.” 1976, Alistair MacLean, The Golden Gate, page 125:
   • The comedy comes from the patient slow burn of the parents as they try to ignore the explosive belligerence of the boys. 2008 July 25, Ty Burr, “‘Step Brothers’ is crude, rude—and funny”, in The Boston Globe (film review):
3. (idiomatic) Something that emerges or unfolds slowly or gradually. ▸ A work of fiction with a slow-paced plot; also, such a storyline.
   • You might politely describe this werewolf thriller set in the English countryside, in which the werewolf is kept off-camera, as a slow-burn. A devastating revelation awaits us at the end, but for the first two-ish-thirds of the movie we watch a man in a cottage […] looking alarmed and perturbed, possibly having a psychotic breakdown. 2023 May 2, Cath Clarke, “Wolf Garden review – English rural werewolf horror is a major slow burn”, in The Guardian:
   • Despite its dramatic opening, this is a slow burn of a novel. Salvioni might not display the flair of [Elena] Ferrante, but Francesca and Maddalena are vibrant characters for whom we quickly root. 2024 June 16, Lucy Popescu, “The Cursed Friend by Beatrice Salvioni review – rebels with a cause”, in The Observer:
   • The second episode of tonight’s two part finale is the culmination of a storyline first introduced way back in the first season (episode ten, “Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind”). That aired over seven years ago. Even shows that pay very close attention to serialization rarely manage that kind of slow burn. 2021 September 6, Zack Handlen, “Rick And Morty ends its fifth season looking for an escape hatch”, in The A.V. Club:
4. (idiomatic, slang) Something that emerges or unfolds slowly or gradually. ▸ A work of fiction with a slow-paced plot; also, such a storyline. ▸ A romantic story (especially a work of fan fiction) in which the central relationship develops slowly.
   • Another familiar trope, the slow burn, teases the reader as characters secretly pine for one another . . . for a long time. 2018, Francesca DiPiazza, Fandom: Fic Writers, Vidders, Gamers, Artists, and Cosplayers, page 30:
   • Slow burns are torture. Why wait? I want my characters getting down and dirty ASAP, and there's nothing wrong with that. 2019, Robinwritesallthethings, “porn with plot”, in Lemon, page 62:
   • On some nights, I want a good long, juicy 70k word slowburn, mutual pining, angst (with a happy ending, of course, I'm not a monster). 2021, Aditi Dubey, “Considering Fanfic”, in Rabbit Hole, number 1, Australian National University, page 33:
5. (idiomatic) Something that emerges or unfolds slowly or gradually. ▸ A song that relies on anticipation and steady momentum; characteristically may be sparse or atmospheric.
   • "Neon Gravestones" is a forlorn slow burn by Twenty One Pilots.

Forms

Antonyms

outburst

Deriveds

do a slow burn · on a slow burn

Relateds

slow-burn · slow burner · slow-burning

Synonyms

slow burner · slow burner · slow burner · slow burner · slow burner