silver lining

American  

noun

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.

Etymology

Origin of silver lining

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

One small silver lining is that you’ve seen this early in 2026 and have a chance to incorporate the lack of deduction into your planning.

From MarketWatch

He did see a silver lining: “If there is a positive for Mr. Bhusri as he retakes the CEO role, it’s that sentiment towards Workday is pretty much at an all-time low.”

From MarketWatch

A possible silver lining for shareholders is that brokerage analysts have become more bullish on the stock in that time.

From Barron's

While many states are still digging out from the storm in chilly weather, the one silver lining may be the more muted economic impact overall.

From Barron's

“If there is a silver lining to this, the amount of support they’ve gotten is beyond my ability to comprehend. The families are so grateful.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bright side