slow burn

Noun

slow burn (plural slow burns)

1. (idiomatic) Something that emerges or unfolds slowly or gradually.
   • 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
   • 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

   Synonyms:

   slow burner

   1. (idiomatic) 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
   2. (idiomatic) A work of fiction with a slow-paced plot; also, such a storyline.
      • 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...2021 September 6, Zack Handlen, “Rick And Morty ends its fifth season looking for an escape hatch”, in The A.V. Club
      • 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...2023 May 2, Cath Clarke, “Wolf Garden review – English rural werewolf horror is a major slow burn”, in The Guardian
   3. (idiomatic, slang) 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
   4. (idiomatic) 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.