a blessing in disguise
An unfortunate event or situation that results in an unforeseen positive outcome. Running late for work turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I would have been in the middle of that big multi-car pileup had I left the house on time. A: "Being laid off turned out to be a blessing in disguise? Really?" B: "Oh, yeah. It gave me space to think about what I really want to be doing, and I ended up going back to school for my real passion—architecture." This will all work out, you'll see. I'm certain it's a blessing in disguise.
be a blessing in disguise
To result in an unforeseen positive outcome. Running late for work turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I would have been in the middle of that big multi-car pileup had I left the house on time. A: "Being laid off turned out to be a blessing in disguise? Really?" B: "Oh, yeah. It gave me space to think about what I really want to be doing, and I ended up going back to school for my real passion—architecture." This will all work out, you'll see. I'm certain it's a blessing in disguise.
devil in disguise
Something or someone that appears to be good, useful, or benevolent, but that in reality proves to be the opposite. When I first met my ex-husband, I thought he was the nicest, most generous man alive, but he turned out to be the devil in disguise. The new cancer-treating drug held great promise, but it proved a devil in disguise when the true scale of its side effects became known. Highly addictive pain medication like this is a devil in disguise that has ruined many unsuspecting people's lives.
disguise (someone or oneself) in (something)
To make one unrecognizable through the use of clothing and other such props. The robbers disguised themselves in masks so that no one would recognize them when they committed the crime. I disguised myself in a wig and snuck in through the back door. Of course I didn't recognize her—he had disguised herself in a Halloween costume!
disguise (someone or something) as (someone or something)
To cause someone or something to look or seem like someone or something else. Unless you plan to disguise yourself as a potted plant, there's no way you'll be able to sit in on that meeting. I think that statement was just anger disguised as sarcasm. Of course I didn't recognize her—she had disguised herself as a witch for Halloween!
in disguise
Hiding the true appearance or nature of someone or something. A: "Well, if you want to spy on him, we'll have to go to the restaurant in disguise." B: "I've got some wigs from last Halloween—will that work?" Running late for work turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I would have been in the middle of that big multi-car pileup had I left the house on time. What's with the floppy hat and glasses? Are you in disguise?
turn out to be a blessing in disguise
To be or seem initially undesirable while resulting in an unforeseen positive outcome in the future. Running late for work turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I would have been in the middle of that big multi-car pileup had I left the house on time.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
blessing in disguise
Fig. something that at first seems bad, but later turns out to be beneficial. Tony's motorcycle accident was a blessing in disguise, because he got enough insurance money from the other driver to make a down payment on a house. Dad's illness was a blessing in disguise; it brought the family together for the first time in years.
disguise someone in something
to conceal someone's identity in a costume or makeup. We disguised her in men's clothing and got her across the border. She disguised herself in a clown suit.
disguise someone or something as someone or something
to dress or make someone up to appear to be someone or something. We disguised the child as a witch. We disguised Gerald as a pumpkin.
in disguise
hidden behind a disguise; looking like something else. Santa Claus was really the little child's father in disguise. What I thought was terrible turned out to be a blessing in disguise!
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
blessing in disguise
A misfortune that unexpectedly turns into good fortune, as in Missing the train was a blessing in disguise, for if I hadn't, I wouldn't have met my future wife . [Mid-1700s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
a blessing in disguise
COMMON If an event is a blessing in disguise, it causes problems at first, but later brings greater advantages. Franklin's illness proved a blessing in disguise, for it gave him strength and courage which he had not had before. The defeat might be a blessing in disguise — she now avoids a quarter final clash with America's Linda Harvey-Wild. Other observers feel the split may be a blessing in disguise for the organization.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
a blessing in disguise
an apparent misfortune that eventually has good results.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
a blessing in disˈguise
a thing that seems bad, unpleasant, etc. at first but that has advantages in the end: Not getting that job was a blessing in disguise, as the firm went out of business only a few months later.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
blessing in disguise, a
Good luck coming out of bad; a misfortune unexpectedly turning into a good thing. “E’en crosses from his sov’reign hand are blessings in disguise,” wrote the eighteenth-century poet James Hervey, “cross” here meaning “a cross to bear,” or burden. The phrase has been a cliché for about a century.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer