do justice to
Idioms-
Treat fairly or adequately, with full appreciation, as in That review doesn't do the play justice . This expression was first recorded in John Dryden's preface to Troilus and Cressida (1679): “I cannot leave this subject before I do justice to that Divine Poet.”
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do oneself justice . Execute in accordance with one's abilities, as in She finally got a position in which she could do herself justice . [Second half of 1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Words can’t really do justice to the profound musical depths Henry plumbs in this searing revival of “Ragtime,” directed by Lear deBessonet for Lincoln Center Theatre.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
In any event, it is impossible to do justice to the collection, which ranges over millennia, primarily from 3000 B.C. to A.D.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 5, 2025
“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy,” Parton wrote.
From Salon • Mar. 4, 2025
"Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy," the statement read.
From BBC • Mar. 3, 2025
If I must do justice to my own apprehension then I will say it was the nature of her familiarity that drew me to a halt.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
