What does ‘weather the storm’ mean?
To “weather the storm” means to survive a difficult period. A long-standing English idiom, originally literal at sea, in common metaphorical use for centuries.
Origin
- A long-standing English idiom, originally literal at sea, in common metaphorical use for centuries.
How to use it
- Used approvingly of endurance.
- Example: The company weathered the storm and came out stronger.
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.