Synonyms

mixed blessing

American

noun

something that, although generally favorable or advantageous, has one or more unfavorable or disadvantageous features.

mixed blessing British

noun

an event, situation, etc, having both advantages and disadvantages

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

mixed blessing Idioms

Something that has both good and bad features, as in Being accepted by the college was a mixed blessing, since she couldn't afford the tuition. [First half of 1900s]

Etymology

Origin of mixed blessing

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That kind of sudden, enormous demand surge is a mixed blessing.

From Barron's

That is a mixed blessing for Europe.

From Barron's

It’s the mixed blessing of still being close to where you’re from, yet sung with a wisp of yearning.

From Los Angeles Times

The results are a "mixed blessing" for Beijing, said trade policy analyst Deborah Elms from the Hinrich Foundation.

From BBC

That investment may power earnings growth, but for dividend investors it’s a mixed blessing.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023