on the back burner

Register · Informal Informal — used in casual, everyday conversation among friends and family. Avoid in formal writing or professional settings. CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

given low priority and left for later

Why this phrase?

From cooking, where a pot is moved to a low-heat back burner; figuratively means delayed.

Example

“We've put the redesign on the back burner until next year.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

buy time Neutral · CEFR B2

to create a delay that provides extra time to prepare or decide

better late than never Neutral · CEFR A2

Doing something after a delay is better than not doing it at all.

hang on a minute Informal · CEFR A2

used to ask someone to wait, or to express surprise or objection

easier said than done Neutral · CEFR B1

Something that sounds simple to do but is actually hard.

for the time being Neutral · CEFR B1

temporarily, until circumstances change

golden rule Neutral · CEFR B1

the most important rule or principle to follow

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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