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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There’s a silver lining in the uncertain path of the economy and Federal Reserve rate policy: Some banks are in a holding pattern and paying rich yields for certificates of deposit. Darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 16 May 2025 But the Sky don’t want to think about assets or silver linings. Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025 As reported, Shein and rival retailer Temu have already increased prices due to the pressure of mounting tariffs and the closure of the de minimis loophole in the U.S. There is a silver lining, at least for Musera, whose product is already more expensive than Shein’s. Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 12 May 2025 The silver lining for inflation-weary consumers, according to Gary Hufbauer, a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics? Bailey Schulz, USA Today, 9 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for silver lining

Word History

Etymology

from the phrase "every cloud has a silver lining"

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of silver lining was in 1871

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Silver lining.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/silver%20lining. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

silver lining

noun
: a consoling or hopeful prospect
looked for the silver lining in a bad situation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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