# it is always darkest before the dawn

idiom · CEFR B1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/it-is-always-darkest-before-the-dawn
Updated: 2026-06-07

## Meaning

Things are going to get better

## Examples

- Don't give up now, because it is always darkest before the dawn.
- Even though you lost your job today, remember that it is always darkest before the dawn and a better opportunity might be coming.
- The company faced its worst financial crisis last winter, yet the manager reminded the staff that it is always darkest before the dawn just before their most successful season began.

## Origin

First recorded in Thomas Fuller's A Pisgah-Sight of Palestine (1650): 'It is always darkest just before the Day dawneth.'

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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.