burning question
11
3.5
- noun
- Informal
:
pregunta urgente
- The burning question for many students is whether they will receive financial aid next year.
- answer the burning question
- ask the burning question
- one burning question
Let's answer the burning question on all of your minds.
- Let's answer the burning question on all of your minds.
- Are there any burning questions that you have any key insights you want?
- Funny enough, this really came about because I myself asked Oliver Hudson a burning question that I had.
- Which raises some burning questions like if AMD and ASRock can do it, why can't Intel?
Examples
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A question and answer session with the ice cream aficionados allowed the audience to ask their burning questions.
Blog text (33) -
In the meeting, the burning question was about the future of the project after recent changes.
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And then I guess the burning question is, how the hell do you get any sleep?
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Anybody have any burning questions, comments, talking points they want me to respond to?
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Let's answer the burning question on all of your minds.
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Let's start off with a burning question everyone is dying to know.
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We'd love to hear any burning questions you might have!
Blog text (10) -
The burning question: why did you name the company Juliette Has a Gun?
Blog text (27) -
But the burning question on everyone's lips is that nobody knows what these cars really are!
Blog text (24) -
Let's get some scientists on that burning question ASAP and see if we can't break some ground on the pressing issue.
Blog text (16)
Synonyms
10
5.0
Something very important that everyone wants answered
Antonyms
How Urgent
- Informal
10
5.0
- Informal
11
3.5
906
1.7
∞
3.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'burning' here conveys urgency or intensity and, when combined with 'question', directly yields the sense of an urgent or pressing question. This metaphorical use of 'burning' as 'important/urgent' is common and follows a simple adjective+noun composition, so a B1 learner who knows both words will very likely infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
Burning question comes from the image of something burning that you must put out right away, like a small fire; a problem that 'burns' needs fast action. That's why it means 'an urgent or important question'.