saving grace

American  

noun

1. a quality that makes up for other generally negative characteristics; redeeming feature.

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Etymology

Origin of saving grace

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

His saving grace proved to be his wife Linda, whom he married in March 1969.

From Salon • Feb. 27, 2026

What was a liability has become a saving grace among car buyers sick of screens.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

The one saving grace, said Timer, has been the public's "very significant rising awareness" of deforestation in Indonesia since the disaster.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

The saving grace is a relatively low level of layoffs.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 7, 2026

There was a vague mention of “that time before” and of saving grace and a promise that he had changed.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez