# any port in a storm

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/any-port-in-a-storm
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

One should accept any passable option when time is of the essence in an adverse situation.

## Examples

- I hate this hotel, but any port in a storm.
- The rain is heavy, so this small bus stop is any port in a storm.
- The train was cancelled, so we took a slow bus; any port in a storm when you need to get home.
- I usually prefer organic food, but since I was starving and nothing else was open, the greasy burger was any port in a storm.
- He does not like his new boss, but he took the job because he needed money urgently; it was a case of any port in a storm.
- With the blizzard worsening and no other shelter nearby, the hikers viewed the abandoned cabin as any port in a storm.

## Origin

The expression is likely derived from an earlier figurative application of the phrase "port in a (or the) storm" to denote a source of refuge during unfavourable conditions. A use of this imagery is recorded as early as 1657. The construction suggests a maritime necessity wherein the quality of the harbour is secondary to the immediate requirement of surviving the weather. (disputed)

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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.