Meanings
plural silver linings
- figurativelyA favorable aspect or prospect of a mostly unfavorable event or situation.
Was I deceived, or did a sable cloud / Turn forth her silver lining on the night? / I did not err: there does a sable cloud / Turn forth her silver lining on the night, / And casts a gleam over this tufted grove.
1634, John Milton, Comus1 more example
The only silver lining for businesses and local residents was that there was at least an end in sight, and that the new station, once built, would enhance the area and provide improved east-west access for pedestrians.
2025 February 19, Chris Howe, “Euston: a work in progress”, in RAIL, number 1029, page 45Synonyms: bright side, on the plus side, eucatastrophe · Antonyms: downside, drawback, worm in the apple, sticky wicket
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA favorable aspect or prospect of a mostly unfavorable event or situation.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Originating in John Milton's poem Comus; see the quotation from 1634. The proverb every cloud has a silver lining is an allusion to the relevant passage.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 利好, 有利的一面
- 利好 (lìhǎo)a good aspect of a mostly bad event
- 有利的一面 (yǒulì de yī miàn)a good aspect of a mostly bad event
Czech světlá stránka, paprsek naděje
- světlá stránkaa good aspect of a mostly bad event
- paprsek nadějea good aspect of a mostly bad event
- světlo na konci tunelua good aspect of a mostly bad event
Danish lyspunkt, solstrejf
- lyspunkta good aspect of a mostly bad event
- solstrejfa good aspect of a mostly bad event
Finnish hopeareunus
- hopeareunusa good aspect of a mostly bad event
German Silberstreif, Silberstreifen
- Silberstreifa good aspect of a mostly bad event
- Silberstreifena good aspect of a mostly bad event
- Lichtblicka good aspect of a mostly bad event
- gute Seitea good aspect of a mostly bad event
Hungarian jó oldala
- jó oldalaa good aspect of a mostly bad event
Italian risvolto positivo
- risvolto positivoa good aspect of a mostly bad event
Polish iskierka nadziei, płomyk nadziei
- iskierka nadzieia good aspect of a mostly bad event
- płomyk nadzieia good aspect of a mostly bad event
- promyk nadzieia good aspect of a mostly bad event
Portuguese lado bom
- lado boma good aspect of a mostly bad event
Romanian but see parte bună, aspect pozitiv
- but see parte bunăa good aspect of a mostly bad event
- aspect pozitiva good aspect of a mostly bad event
Russian луч наде́жды, хорошая новость
- луч наде́жды (luč nadéždy)a good aspect of a mostly bad event
- хорошая новость (xorošaja novostʹ)a good aspect of a mostly bad event
- све́тлая сторона́ (svétlaja storoná)a good aspect of a mostly bad event
- свет в конце тоннеля (svet v konce tonnelja)a good aspect of a mostly bad event
Spanish resquicio esperanzador
- resquicio esperanzadora good aspect of a mostly bad event
Swedish ljuspunkt, ljusglimt
- ljuspunkta good aspect of a mostly bad event
- ljusglimta good aspect of a mostly bad event
Thai ฟ้าหลังฝน
- ฟ้าหลังฝน (fáa lăng fŏn)a good aspect of a mostly bad event
Cite this entry
silver lining. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/silver%20lining
“silver lining.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/silver%20lining. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “silver lining,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/silver%20lining.
Source: silver lining on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.