All's Well That Ends Well

noun

1. a comedy (1602?) by Shakespeare.

All's well that ends well

1. Problems that occur along the way do not matter as long as the outcome is happy.

Notes

This proverb was used as a title for one of William Shakespeare 's comedies.

Idioms and Phrases

Everything has turned out satisfactorily, even though the outcome has been uncertain. For example, His lawyer persuaded Jack to plead guilty, but the court merely put him on probation—all's well that ends well . This proverb, dating from about 1250, gained even more currency as the title of a Shakespeare comedy.

Example Sentences

As usual, two abbreviated Backyard Bard stagings will be offered for those who prefer Bill bite-sized: “All’s Well That Ends Well” and “Julius Caesar.”

From Seattle Times

Green’s last play with Shakes was “All’s Well That Ends Well,” in which she played Helena, a woman who employs a Shakespearean plot device that involves swapping out one woman for another in a man’s bed, aka the bed trick.

From Seattle Times

The idea began when Green played Helena in a production of Shakespeare’s “All’s Well That Ends Well,” a story whose resolution hinges on a plot device known as the bed trick — essentially, the secret substitution of one woman for another in a man’s bed.

From Seattle Times

Oh, that perfect description of Trump — “an infinite and endless liar, an hourly promise-breaker”? It’s from “All’s Well That Ends Well.”

From Salon

The landing wasn’t “perfect,” he confessed, but it looked great on film and all’s well that ends well.

From Los Angeles Times