What does ‘every cloud has a silver lining’ mean?
To “every cloud has a silver lining” means to every hardship carries some hope or benefit. The image is popularly traced to Milton's Comus (1634); Brewer's records it as a proverb of consolation.
Origin
- The image is popularly traced to Milton's Comus (1634); Brewer's records it as a proverb of consolation.
How to use it
- Standard reassurance in disappointment.
- Example: You lost the job, but every cloud has a silver lining.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.