We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Literature

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Does "All's Well That Ends Well" Mean?

By Bethney Foster
Updated: May 23, 2024
Views: 21,788
Share

The idiomatic expression “all’s well that ends well” is usually used when a particularly messy set of circumstances results in a desired conclusion. The saying means that, despite the situations, problems, or chaos that may have ensued in an effort to reach the desired conclusion, it is fine as long as the end result is positive. The phrase can also mean that, even though a set of circumstances didn’t begin in a positive way, the situation resolved itself in an acceptable manner. The phrase can sometimes be analogous with the idiom “the ends justify the means.”

Other similar, though slightly different, interpretations of the phrase may include using the idiom to express feelings that the difficulties of accomplishing a goal are not so important once the goal had been accomplished. It could also be used to express the sentiment that, once a task or journey is finished, the situations endured to get to the end seem acceptable, even though the situations may not have seemed acceptable at the time. The phrase "all's well that ends well" is generally not used until the journey, task, or goal has been completed. There are occasional instances where the phrase is used in the middle of a calamity to express optimism that the current situation won't matter as long as the ending is positive.

“All’s well that ends well” is a British idiom and was most likely made popular by Shakespeare’s play that took the idiom as its title. The play, believed to have been written about 1604, tells the story of Helena, who endures many difficulties and circumstances, and uses tricks and deceit to get her true love to acknowledge her as his wife. Helena’s lines include the phrase “all’s well that ends well.”

The idiom was likely already in common usage among the British before Shakespeare’s play was introduced, although Shakespeare is often, incorrectly, given credit for coining the phrase. A Finnish proverb that likely came into usage about the same time is translated into English as “the beginning is always difficult, in the end stands the thank.” The idiom "all's well that ends well" was included in a collection of English proverbs compiled by John Heywood in 1546. Heywood worked for Henry VIII as a singer and playwright, and his collection of proverbs include many sayings that continue to be used in the English language today.

Share
Language & Humanities is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
By Phaedrus — On Oct 14, 2014

I remember my project leader saying "all's well that ends well" after we pulled off a nearly impossible presentation. We did just about everything wrong, and the prototype didn't work at all. The client still gave our company the contract, because he said the competition put on a better presentation, but it was obvious we were more passionate about getting it done right.

By Cageybird — On Oct 13, 2014

The most memorable "all's well that ends well" experience I can think of was during my days of college theater. We had one production that seemed like it was doomed from the start. We had to replace three lead actors for different reasons during rehearsals, then the lead actress suffered a heart attack. The technical director came up with a set design that was extremely complicated, and we never could get the changes right. Ticket sales were low, and the school wasn't happy with the adult nature of the play.

Despite all of these setbacks, we managed to sell out the seats for all three performances, and we got really great reviews from the audience. All that really mattered for us was putting on a good performance, even if everything else was falling apart around us.

Share
https://www.languagehumanities.org/what-does-alls-well-that-ends-well-mean.htm
Copy this link
Language & Humanities, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

Language & Humanities, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.