Phrase guide

light at the end of the tunnel

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A better situation after long hardship.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, idiomatic, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A vision of a bright light, surrounded by darkness, seen by a dying person

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 柳暗花明 (liǔ'ànhuāmíng) — a better situation after long hardship
  • Czech: světlo na konci tunelu — a better situation after long hardship
  • Finnish: valopilkku — a better situation after long hardship
  • French: bout du tunnel — a better situation after long hardship
  • French: voir le bout du tunnel — a better situation after long hardship
  • French: la lumière au bout du tunnel — a better situation after long hardship
  • German: Licht am Ende des Tunnels — a better situation after long hardship
  • Greek: φως στο τούνελ (fos sto toúnel) — a better situation after long hardship
  • Hungarian: fény az alagút végén — a better situation after long hardship
  • Italian: luce in fondo al tunnel — a better situation after long hardship
  • Norwegian Bokmål: lys i enden av tunnelen — a better situation after long hardship
  • Polish: światełko w tunelu — a better situation after long hardship
  • Portuguese: a luz no fim do túnel — a better situation after long hardship
  • Russian: свет в конце́ тонне́ля (svet v koncé tonnélja) — a better situation after long hardship
  • Spanish: luz al final del túnel — a better situation after long hardship
  • Swedish: ljuset i tunneln — a better situation after long hardship