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

The news was devastating to his family, but Patti Davis, Reagan’s third daughter, looked for a silver lining. — Niya Doyle, PEOPLE, 19 July 2026

Amid a devastating drought, Colorado’s labyrinthine water management rules have yielded a silver lining for rafters, kayakers and visitors seeking the thrill of whitewater. — Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 16 July 2026

For the American, the loss carries an undeniable silver lining. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 9 July 2026

Kind of a sad little smidge of silver lining but perhaps not totally unimportant given that the Padres do have six games remaining before the All-Star break and every loss makes the next game exponentially more important. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 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