whistling in the dark
Pretending away fear
Whistling in the dark is trying to stay cheerful or confident in a frightening or uncertain situation—like someone walking through a dark alley who whistles to calm their nerves.
The phrase usually implies the confidence is hollow or forced: His optimism about the company's future felt like whistling in the dark.
- self-soothingCalming oneself independently
- hopefulnessExpectation of positive outcomes
- silver liningConsolation within misfortune
- hummingContinuous low-pitched sound
- nervous laughterGiggles from discomfort
denial · head in the sand · daydreaming · putting on a brave face · stiff upper lip · perseverance · adaptability · faith · stoicism · avoidance · rationalization · bravado · talking a big game · positivity · biting the bullet · grit · humor · compartmentalization
whistling in the darkfacing facts
Acknowledging uncomfortable truths
facing the music · brutal honesty · coming to terms · taking stock · sobering up
whistle, whistled, whistler, whistles, darken, darkened, darkens, darker, darkest