weather-the-storm
/ˈweð.ə ðə stɔːm/ IELTSAcademic
idiom
To survive a difficult time with little harm until it ends. It often suggests patience, strength, or smart planning during trouble.
- The company weathered the storm and kept its staff.
- We must weather the storm until sales improve.
- She weathered the storm with calm determination.
Adinary Nuance
Weather the storm is not the same as endure or survive. It often means you get through a hard period and come out with limited damage. It also suggests the problem is temporary, so it is a good choice for financial, personal, or business trouble. Compared with cope, it sounds a little more serious and more dramatic.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- vượt qua sóng gió
- Spanish
- superar la tormenta
- Chinese
- 渡过难关
- Japanese
- 難局を乗り切る
- Korean
- 위기를 넘기다
Etymology
This idiom comes from sailing and weather talk. People used it from the 1600s onward for ships or people surviving bad conditions.
Common phrases
weather the financial stormweather the crisisweather the recession
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is weather the storm formal or informal?
- It is neutral and works well in formal writing and speech.
- What is the difference between weather the storm and cope?
- Cope means manage a problem. Weather the storm means survive a hard period until it passes.
- Can I use weather the storm in business writing?
- Yes. It is common in business, finance, and news writing.