ENGLISH
REFERENCE

a blessing in disguise

idiom
Meaning

a good thing that seemed bad at first


Origin

first recorded 18th c.

First recorded in James Hervey's 1746 hymn 'Since all the downward tracts of time', which speaks of 'blessings in disguise'.

Examples
SIMPLE

Losing my old job was a blessing in disguise.

CONTEXTUAL

Missing the flight was a blessing in disguise because the next plane was much more comfortable and arrived earlier.

COMPLEX

Although the initial rejection from the university felt like a failure, it proved to be a blessing in disguise when he discovered a better program elsewhere.

Last updated June 7, 2026