Idiom idiom
a blessing in disguise
Meaning
a good thing that seemed bad at first
Examples
“Losing my old job was a blessing in disguise.”
“Missing the flight was a blessing in disguise because the next plane was much more comfortable and arrived earlier.”
“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.”
Origin
first recorded 18th c.
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'.
Last updated June 7, 2026