General
backburner
What does backburner mean?
A task deprioritised in favour of more urgent work.
"The rebrand is on the backburner until we hit our targets."
Origin
Cooking metaphor (moving a pot to the back burner).
Frequently asked questions
What does 'backburner' mean?
It refers to a low-priority task set aside for later while more urgent work takes precedence.
Where does 'backburner' come from?
It's a cooking metaphor, from moving a pot to the back burner of a stove to simmer while you focus on the front burners.
How is 'backburner' used?
Usually as 'on the backburner', e.g. 'the rebrand is on the backburner until we hit our targets'.
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Vocabulary Flow — saved to your collection.
