Meaning & Origin
“On the back burner” means a task or plan has been delayed or given lower priority while more urgent items take focus. The image comes from stovetops: pots that need attention stay on the front burners; slow‑simmer items sit on the back.
Pronunciation Guide
- back burner — stress on “BACK” and “BUR‑ner.”
- on the — often reduced to “on thuh.”
- Natural rhythm: on the BACK BUR‑ner.
Usage & Sentence Examples
Use it when something is postponed due to other priorities.
- Vacation plans are on the back burner until we save more.
- We put the newsletter redesign on the back burner this quarter.
- His marathon training is on the back burner while he rehabs.
- Let’s move the side project to the back burner for now.
- Hiring is on the back burner until budgets reopen.
- Learning piano went on the back burner during finals.
Synonyms
deprioritize · put on hold · postpone · table for now · set aside · lower the priority
.svg)
.png)
.webp)
