slow burn

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noun Informal.

a gradual building up of anger, as opposed to an immediate outburst: I did a slow burn as the conversation progressed.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Words nearby slow burn

Slovenian, slovenliness, slovenly, Slovyansk, slow, slow burn, Slow but steady wins the race, slow but sure, slowcoach, slow cooker, slowdown

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use slow burn in a sentence

The “signature sauce” was basically mayo, and the heat level of the other — a russet-toned condiment meant to impart spice to the patty — registered as a slow burn, but was no match for Popeyes’ famous kick.
Burger King’s new spicy chicken sandwich is a worthy competitor, but it won’t dethrone Popeyes|Emily Heil|June 4, 2021|Washington Post
It’s a delicious slow burn friends-to-lovers romance full of witty banter and just the perfect amount of steam.
Romance novels to read this summer|Stephanie Merry|May 27, 2021|Washington Post
These are a slow burn, accruing 10 to 20 miles per survey and requiring you to take qualifying questions to determine if you are in the target audience.
How to earn airline miles without flying anywhere|Jen Ruiz|May 6, 2021|Washington Post
Instead, the story goes, there was a slow burn—until the early 1700s, at which point Newton’s corrected and improved later editions, along with a growing interest among scientists, began to finally have an impact.
Who Said Nobody Read Isaac Newton? - Issue 95: Escape|Caleb Scharf|January 20, 2021|Nautilus

The wider adoption of AI across industries has been a bit of a slow burn over the past several years as company founders and executives begin to understand what the technology could do for their businesses.
How artificial intelligence will be used in 2021|Kirsten Korosec|December 31, 2020|TechCrunch
But the real drama would develop during long slow burn that came next.
‘The Leftovers’ Review: A Fever Dream You Can’t Wake Up From|Andrew Romano|June 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Alex Edwards, Founder of Natural High, agrees with this slow-burn philosophy.
On Foot in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco|Joanna Eede|January 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Americans has given us both a chilly pleasure and a slow burn in the proximity of its antagonists.
What ‘Homeland’ Could Learn From ‘The Americans’|Alyssa Rosenberg|May 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Quincy described his show as a “slow burn” with a “nice, melancholy sweetness to it like Charlie Brown.”
‘Out There’: Ryan Quincy’s Take on Those Awkward High School Years|Jean Trinh|February 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
There are “not a lot of Rwandas, but a lot of slow-burn horrific conflicts,” she said.
Obama Announces Board Aimed at Preventing Next Genocide|Sarah Wildman|April 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The blows were weak, for I was still dazed; but they served, together with the slow burn of my anger, greatly to steady me.
Gold|Stewart White

British Dictionary definitions for slow burn

slow burn

noun

a steadily penetrating show of anger or contempt

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with slow burn

slow burn

Slowly increasing anger. It is often put as do a slow burn, meaning “gradually grow angrier,” as in I did a slow burn when he kept me waiting for three hours. The burn in this idiom comes from burn up in the sense of “make furious.” The term was first cited in 1938 and was closely associated with comedian Edgar Kennedy.

slow burn

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How to use slow burn in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for slow burn

Other Idioms and Phrases with slow burn