Give the devil his due
Idioms & PhrasesHARD
to acknowledge the good qualities of someone you dislike
Give the devil his due
Idioms & PhrasesHARD
to acknowledge the good qualities of someone you dislike
Learning Progress
Examples
"We should give the devil his due — he did complete the job despite his faults."
"Even though the policy is flawed, give the devil his due: it helped many people."
Mnemonic Trick
Meaning: even the devil merits some credit; concede merit.
Cultural Context
Formal/idiomatic; useful in balanced argumentative writing.
Source: Idioms & PhrasesAdded: 11/13/2025
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