plot bunny

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

An idea for a story, usually referring to an author having more ideas than they can use.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

"Alternatively," she [T.M. Taylor] says, "the plot bunnies may be going somewhere you don't want to go, like when the plot calls for the death of a favorite character"

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “plot bunny” mean?

An idea for a story, usually referring to an author having more ideas than they can use.

Is “plot bunny” formal or informal?

plot bunny is generally slang.