# a blessing in disguise

idiom · CEFR B2

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/a-blessing-in-disguise
Updated: 2026-06-07

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

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.