Meaning
To survive or successfully endure a dangerous, turbulent, or difficult period, coming out the other side largely intact.
It’s used for anything from personal hardship and financial trouble to organizational crises, always implying that the difficulty is temporary and survivable with the right approach.
Origin
The phrase is a nautical term, referring to a ship successfully sailing through a storm without being wrecked — traditionally by skillful handling of the sails and steering to keep the vessel on the safer, windward side rather than being driven onto rocks or a lee shore. The verb “weather” itself, in this sense of enduring or surviving exposure to something, has been used in English in nautical contexts for centuries before spreading to describe any difficult situation survived, not only literal storms at sea.
Examples
The company weathered the storm and came out stronger.
Their marriage weathered the storm of financial hardship.
She’s confident they can weather the storm together.
A: Will the business survive this crisis? B: I think we can weather the storm.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'Weather the storm' mean?
To survive or successfully endure a dangerous, turbulent, or difficult period, coming out the other side largely intact.
It’s used for anything from personal hardship and financial trouble to organizational crises, always implying that the difficulty is temporary and survivable with the right approach.