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Synonyms

silver lining

American  

noun

  1. a sign of hope in an unfortunate or gloomy situation; a bright prospect.

    Every cloud has a silver lining.
silver lining British  

noun

  1. a comforting or hopeful aspect of an otherwise desperate or unhappy situation (esp in the phrase every cloud has a silver lining )

"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
silver lining Idioms  

  1. An element of hope or a redeeming quality in an otherwise bad situation, as in The rally had a disappointing turnout, but the silver lining was that those who came pledged a great deal of money. This metaphoric term is a shortening of Every cloud has a silver lining, in turn derived from John Milton's Comus (1634): “A sable cloud turns forth its silver lining on the night.”

Usage

What does silver lining mean? A silver lining is a sign of hope or a positive aspect in an otherwise negative situation.The phrase is often seen as part of the proverb Every cloud has a silver lining, meaning that there’s hope or something good to be found in every bad situation. In real life, when a cloud looks like its edges are shining and silvery, it’s because the sun is behind it. That’s the metaphor: things are cloudy (bad), but they will get sunny (positive) again—or you can least enjoy the one shiny (positive) part in all the gloominess.Example: Getting your tonsils out is a bummer, but there’s a silver lining—you get to eat a lot of ice cream afterward.

Etymology

Origin of silver lining

First recorded in 1870–75

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.

The silver lining, I hope, is that you can afford your heating and cooling bills.

From MarketWatch

While their league form suffered they still scored 64 times and the silver lining was a Europa League triumph over Manchester United last May, which also secured a coveted place in the Champions League.

From BBC

The silver lining in lower sales for Tesla is a higher market share.

From Barron's

"To the extent that there is a silver lining… we're presented with this unique opportunity to rebuild things," he said.

From BBC

"I said there would be a silver lining... In all seriousness shout out to all the truly kind and caring doctors and nurses who helped Lindsey," wrote Kildow.

From Barron's

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.