mixed blessing

American  

noun

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

---

mixed blessing British  

noun

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

---

mixed blessing Idioms  

1. 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

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

From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026

For Breanna's mum Megan Easton, the ban is a mixed blessing.

From BBC • Dec. 10, 2025

And if you are drawing Social Security and you benefit each year from the annual cost-of-living adjustment, that, too, is a mixed blessing.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 19, 2025

For history-loving travelers, this has been a mixed blessing, as the city-state has gained a reputation for knocking down historic structures for malls with an energy that outstrips Las Vegas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025

But gaining access to all of that information turned out to be something of a mixed blessing.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline