silver lining

English

Etymology

Originating in the John Milton's poem “Comus”; see 1634 quotation. The proverb every cloud has a silver lining is an allusion to the relevant passage.

Noun

silver lining (plural silver linings)

1. (figurative) A good aspect of a mostly bad event.
   • 1634, John Milton, “Comus”:

     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.

Synonyms

• (good aspect): bright side

Related terms

• every cloud has a silver lining
• every silver lining has a cloud

Translations

a good aspect of a mostly bad event

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: hopeareunus
• German: Silberstreif m, Silberstreifen m, Lichtblick (de) m, gute Seite f, positiver Aspekt m
• Italian: risvolto positivo m
• Polish: światełko w tunelu
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: lado bom
• Russian: луч наде́жды m (luč nadéždy), хорошая новость (xorošaja novostʹ)
• Spanish: lado positivo m
• Swedish: guldkant (sv) c
• Thai: ฟ้าหลังฝน (fáa lăng fŏn)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Korean: ^{(please verify)} 새옹지마 (ko) (塞翁之馬, sae-ong-ji-ma)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

See also

• blessing in disguise,
• God works in mysterious ways