Meanings
proverb
- There is something good in any bad situation.
But the most popular attitude toward what we may call "sad" plays is the peculiar one of believing that, since every cloud has a silver lining, […]
1918, George Jean Nathan, Performing Arts, page 2223 more examples
Every cloud has a silver lining; but in the old-fashioned meeting-houses every cloud of hymnal melody generally had a nasal lining before the congregation […]
1881, National Academy of Code Administration (U.S.), Folio, page 417[…] that "a little reserve and thou'lt fail surely," will prove to be true in our experience. Every cloud has a silver lining and so has every sorrow, […]
1887, Shakers, Religion, page 36Patrick O'Brien: No hard feelings? I've been falsely accused, had the crap kicked out of me, now I have no job. Gene Hunt: Look on the bright side. Still got your health. So, you know, every cloud.
2007 March 6, Julie Rutterford, Life on Mars, Season 2, Episode 3
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
See entry for silver lining.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic رُبَّ ضارّةٍ نافِعةٌ
- رُبَّ ضارّةٍ نافِعةٌ (rubba ḍārratin nāfiʕatun)in every bad situation there is an element of good
Catalan d'un gran mal en surt un gran bé
- d'un gran mal en surt un gran béin every bad situation there is an element of good
Chinese Mandarin 陽光總在風雨後 /阳光总在风雨后, 塞翁失馬，焉知非福 /塞翁失马
- 陽光總在風雨後 /阳光总在风雨后 (yángguāng zǒng zài fēngyǔ hòu)in every bad situation there is an element of good
- 塞翁失馬，焉知非福 /塞翁失马in every bad situation there is an element of good
- 焉知非福 (sàiwēng shī mǎ, yānzhī fēi fú)in every bad situation there is an element of good
Czech všechno zlé je k něčemu dobré
- všechno zlé je k něčemu dobréin every bad situation there is an element of good
Danish over skyerne er himlen altid blå
- over skyerne er himlen altid blåin every bad situation there is an element of good
Dutch achter de wolken schijnt de zon, na regen komt zonneschijn
- achter de wolken schijnt de zonin every bad situation there is an element of good
- na regen komt zonneschijnin every bad situation there is an element of good
- elk nadeel heeft zijn voordeelin every bad situation there is an element of good
- dat dan weer welin every bad situation there is an element of good
Finnish jokaisella pilvellä on hopeareunus, ei niin pahaa, ettei jotakin hyvääkin
- jokaisella pilvellä on hopeareunusin every bad situation there is an element of good
- ei niin pahaa, ettei jotakin hyvääkinin every bad situation there is an element of good
French à quelque chose malheur est bon, après la pluie, le beau temps
- à quelque chose malheur est bonin every bad situation there is an element of good
- après la pluie, le beau tempsin every bad situation there is an element of good
- un mal pour un bienin every bad situation there is an element of good
- d'un grand mal sort un grand bienin every bad situation there is an element of good
- d'un grand mal sourd un grand bienin every bad situation there is an element of good
- il n'y a de grand mal qu'un grand bien ne suivein every bad situation there is an element of good
German nach Regen folgt Sonnenschein, kein Leid ohne Freud
- nach Regen folgt Sonnenscheinin every bad situation there is an element of good
- kein Leid ohne Freudin every bad situation there is an element of good
Greek ουδέν κακόν αμιγές καλού
- ουδέν κακόν αμιγές καλού (oudén kakón amigés kaloú)in every bad situation there is an element of good
Hungarian minden rosszban van valami jó
- minden rosszban van valami jóin every bad situation there is an element of good
Icelandic fátt er svo með öllu illt að ekki boði nokkuð gott
- fátt er svo með öllu illt að ekki boði nokkuð gottin every bad situation there is an element of good
Indonesian badai pasti berlalu, setelah hujan ada rintik air mata
- badai pasti berlaluin every bad situation there is an element of good
- setelah hujan ada rintik air matain every bad situation there is an element of good
Irish an áit a mbíonn an dólás bíonn an sólás ina aice
- an áit a mbíonn an dólás bíonn an sólás ina aicein every bad situation there is an element of good
Italian non tutti i mali vengono per nuocere
- non tutti i mali vengono per nuocerein every bad situation there is an element of good
Japanese 楽あれば苦あり
- 楽あれば苦あり (raku areba ku ari)in every bad situation there is an element of good
Korean 새옹지마
- 새옹지마 (sae'ongjima)in every bad situation there is an element of good
Lithuanian nėra to blogo, kuris neišeitų į gerą
- nėra to blogo, kuris neišeitų į gerąin every bad situation there is an element of good
Malay هاري تقکن سياڠ سهاج, هيلڠ کابوس تدوه هوجن
- هاري تقکن سياڠ سهاجin every bad situation there is an element of good
- هيلڠ کابوس تدوه هوجنin every bad situation there is an element of good
- ستياڤ يڠ بوروق اد باءيقڽ جوݢin every bad situation there is an element of good
- ستياڤ کبوروقن يڠ برلاکو مستي اد هکمه اتاو کباءيقن د سباليقڽin every bad situation there is an element of good
- hari takkan siang sahajain every bad situation there is an element of good
- hilang kabus teduh hujanin every bad situation there is an element of good
- setiap yang buruk ada baiknya jugain every bad situation there is an element of good
- setiap keburukan yang berlaku mesti ada hikmah atau kebaikan di sebaliknyain every bad situation there is an element of good
Norwegian Bokmål aldri så galt at det ikke er godt for noe, over skyene er himmelen alltid blå
- aldri så galt at det ikke er godt for noein every bad situation there is an element of good
- over skyene er himmelen alltid blåin every bad situation there is an element of good
- etter regn kommer alltid solskinnin every bad situation there is an element of good
Polish nie ma tego złego, co by na dobre nie wyszło
- nie ma tego złego, co by na dobre nie wyszłoin every bad situation there is an element of good
Portuguese não há mal que não venha por bem
- não há mal que não venha por bemin every bad situation there is an element of good
Romanian după ploaie vine soare
- după ploaie vine soarein every bad situation there is an element of good
Russian нет ху́да без добра́, что ни де́лается, всё к лу́чшему
- нет ху́да без добра́ (net xúda bez dobrá)in every bad situation there is an element of good
- что ни де́лается, всё к лу́чшему (što ni délajetsja, vsjo k lúčšemu)in every bad situation there is an element of good
Scottish Gaelic tha a' ghrian air cùlaibh gach sgothan
- tha a' ghrian air cùlaibh gach sgothanin every bad situation there is an element of good
Slovak všetko zlé je na niečo dobré
- všetko zlé je na niečo dobréin every bad situation there is an element of good
Spanish no hay mal que por bien no venga, el que no se consuela es porque no quiere
- no hay mal que por bien no vengain every bad situation there is an element of good
- el que no se consuela es porque no quierein every bad situation there is an element of good
Swedish inget ont som inte har något gott med sig
- inget ont som inte har något gott med sigin every bad situation there is an element of good
Tagalog may liwanag sa likod ng ulap
- may liwanag sa likod ng ulapin every bad situation there is an element of good
Thai ฟ้าหลังฝน
- ฟ้าหลังฝน (fáa lǎng fǒn)in every bad situation there is an element of good
Turkish her işte bir hayır vardır
- her işte bir hayır vardırin every bad situation there is an element of good
Ukrainian немає лиха без добра, нема́ ли́ха без добра́
- немає лиха без добра (nemaje lyxa bez dobra)in every bad situation there is an element of good
- нема́ ли́ха без добра́ (nemá lýxa bez dobrá)in every bad situation there is an element of good
Vietnamese trong cái rủi có cái may
- trong cái rủi có cái mayin every bad situation there is an element of good
Welsh mae ymyl arian i bob cwmwl du, daw eto haul ar fryn
- mae ymyl arian i bob cwmwl duin every bad situation there is an element of good
- daw eto haul ar frynin every bad situation there is an element of good
Cite this entry
APA
every cloud has a silver lining. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/every%20cloud%20has%20a%20silver%20lining
MLA
“every cloud has a silver lining.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/every%20cloud%20has%20a%20silver%20lining. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “every cloud has a silver lining,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/every%20cloud%20has%20a%20silver%20lining.
Source: every cloud has a silver lining on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.