silver lining

American  

noun

• silver linings
  plural

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

   Every cloud has a silver lining.

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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 )

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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.”

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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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• silver linings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of silver lining

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

silver lining

The one silver lining is that businesses aren’t firing many people, either: Layoffs are near a record low, and show no sign of rising.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

Some economists see a silver lining to the global surge in borrowing costs: the economy is strong enough to handle them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

Pakistan may have found a star in the making, a silver lining to a terrible tour.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

One silver lining in the housing market is that supply is at nearly a seven-year high.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

Maybe there's one silver lining to my parents' decision?

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins

Related Words

• bright side