slow burns

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

   Synonyms:

   slow burner

   1. (idiomatic) A gradually increasing expression of emotion, especially anger or frustration.
      • He's been in a slow burn all morning.
   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
   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
   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.