noun
silver lining
SIL-ver LY-ning
Silver lining (noun) means a hopeful or beneficial aspect of an otherwise bad situation. Example: “The silver lining of the cancellation was a weekend at home with the kids.”
noun
1
A hopeful or beneficial aspect of an otherwise bad situation.
"The silver lining of the cancellation was a weekend at home with the kids."
"Losing that client was painful, but there was a silver lining: it forced us to fix the pricing."
How to use silver lining
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe one good thing about a bad situation.
When to use it
Neutral idiom, safe in speech and most writing; can feel like a cliché in polished prose.
Memory tip
It usually takes the definite article and the preposition to: the silver lining to all this.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
blessing in disguise
bright side
consolation prize
Common pairings
the silver lining
find a silver lining
every cloud has a silver lining
a silver lining to
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Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ of the cancellation was a weekend at home with the kids.
Etymology
From the proverb 'every cloud has a silver lining', picturing sunlight edging a dark cloud with bright light.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for silver lining
See all rhymes for silver lining →Frequently asked questions
Where does the phrase every cloud has a silver lining come from?
It is a proverb built on a simple observation: when the sun is behind a dark cloud it lights up the cloud's edges. The image circulated in English poetry and popular writing well before it settled into the fixed proverb we use today.
What is the difference between a silver lining and a blessing in disguise?
A silver lining is one good element inside something that is still, overall, bad. A blessing in disguise turns out to have been good on balance all along, once you can see the whole picture.
Is silver lining always positive?
The phrase itself is positive, but it is sometimes used sceptically or bitterly, as in 'if there's a silver lining here, I can't find it'. Offered too quickly to someone in distress it can also come across as dismissive.
What is the meaning of silver lining?
"silver lining" (noun) means a hopeful or beneficial aspect of an otherwise bad situation.
