whistling past the graveyard

A form of whistle past the graveyard — To attempt to stay cheerful in a dire situation; to proceed with a task, ignoring an upcoming hazard, hoping for a good outcome.

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Meanings

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of whistle past the graveyard
Cite this entry
APA

whistling past the graveyard. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whistling%20past%20the%20graveyard

MLA

“whistling past the graveyard.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whistling%20past%20the%20graveyard. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “whistling past the graveyard,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whistling%20past%20the%20graveyard.

Source: whistling past the graveyard on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.