silver lining

noun

: a consoling or hopeful prospect

Examples of silver lining in a Sentence

If there's a silver lining to losing my job, it's that I'll now be able to go to school full-time and finish my degree earlier.

Recent Examples on the Web

It also wasn’t lost on the coach that Brooks has been getting a lot of opportunities this preseason — a silver lining to the difficult news that starting running back Chuba Hubbard has missed some time because of a hamstring injury. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 22 Aug. 2026

That silver lining may not last as the US naval blockade bites. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026

But perhaps there’s a silver lining for others with ambitions for high office. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026

And, despite not being the biggest fan of weddings, Ferguson shared a sweet silver lining. — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from the phrase "every cloud has a silver lining"

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for silver lining

• intertwining
• realigning
• recombining
• redefining
• redesigning
• underlining
• undermining
• aligning
• assigning
• calcining
• combining
• confining

Kids Definition

silver lining

noun

: a consoling or hopeful prospect

looked for the silver lining in a bad situation