“No news is good news” is the proverb that turns silence into reassurance. Here is what it means, where it comes from, how to use it, and a few sayings that share its comfort.
What Does “No News Is Good News” Mean?
The proverb means that if you have heard nothing about a situation, you can usually assume that nothing bad has happened. Bad news tends to travel fast, so a stretch of silence is more likely to mean that all is well than that something is wrong. It is most often used as reassurance to an anxious person waiting to hear from someone — a comforting reminder that the absence of news is itself a kind of good news.
Origin of the Proverb
The saying is often traced to King James I of England, who is reported to have said in 1616 that “no news is better than evil news.” The familiar modern wording appears a little later, in James Howell’s Familiar Letters of around 1645, where he quotes the opinion of “the Italian’s mind that said… no news, good news.” From these seventeenth-century roots the proverb has reassured worried minds ever since.
Examples in a Sentence
- “We haven’t heard from the hospital, but no news is good news.”
- “She hasn’t called about the results — no news is good news, I hope.”
- “The project’s been quiet all week; no news is good news.”
Similar Proverbs
- Bad news travels fast — if something were wrong, you would probably have heard.
- Silence is golden — quiet can be a blessing, not a worry.
- What you don’t know can’t hurt you — not hearing of trouble can be a relief.
- No news, good news — the older, shorter form of the saying.
For more reassuring sayings, see our smart thoughts and the full library of proverbs and their meanings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “no news is good news” mean?
It means that hearing nothing about a situation usually suggests nothing bad has happened, since bad news tends to travel quickly.
Where does the proverb come from?
It is often credited to King James I of England (1616), with the modern wording appearing in James Howell’s Familiar Letters around 1645.
What is a similar proverb?
“Bad news travels fast” supports the same logic — that if something were wrong, you would likely already have heard.