saving grace

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Explanation of "Saving Grace"

Definition: The term "saving grace" refers to a positive quality or characteristic that helps to redeem or improve a situation that might otherwise be negative or disappointing. It is often used to highlight a redeeming aspect that makes something more bearable or valuable.

Usage Instructions:

• Part of Speech: Noun
• Context: You can use "saving grace" when you want to point out something good in an otherwise bad or challenging situation.

Examples:

1. Basic Example: "Her kindness is her saving grace; without it, her harsh words would be hard to accept."
2. In a Sentence: "Even though the movie had a slow start, the beautiful cinematography was its saving grace."
3. Advanced Example: "The saving grace of the new policy is that it focuses on environmental sustainability, even though it has many flaws."

Word Variants:

• Saving (adjective): Something that helps improve a situation.
• Grace (noun): A quality of being kind, elegant, or forgiving.

Different Meaning:

In Christian theology, "saving grace" refers to the divine influence that leads to salvation. It is considered a state of being blessed or favored by God.

Synonyms:

• Redeeming quality
• Positive aspect
• Silver lining
• Bright side

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• "Every cloud has a silver lining": This idiom means that there is something good in every bad situation, similar to finding a "saving grace."
• "Turn a negative into a positive": This phrase means to find something good in a bad situation, similar to identifying a saving grace.

Conclusion:

"Saving grace" is a versatile term that highlights the positive aspects in less-than-ideal circumstances.

Academic

Noun

1. a redeeming quality or characteristic
   • her love of music remains her one saving grace
   • her sense of humor has to be a saving grace
   • the saving grace for both developments is that they are creating jobs
2. (Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence
   • the conception of grace developed alongside the conception of sin
   • it was debated whether saving grace could be obtained outside the membership of the church
   • the Virgin lived in a state of grace

Synonyms

• grace
• state of grace