do justice

verb

1. bring out fully or to advantage (Freq. 1)

-

This photograph does not do her justice

• Hypernyms: ↑show

• Verb Frames:

-

Somebody ——s something

-

Somebody ——s somebody

-

Something ——s to somebody

2. show due and full appreciation

-

The diners did the food and wine justice

• Hypernyms: ↑prize, ↑value, ↑treasure, ↑appreciate

• Verb Frames:

-

Somebody ——s something

-

Somebody ——s somebody

-

Something ——s to somebody

* * *

phrasal

1. obsolete : to pledge in drinking

2.

a. : to do what is just : administer justice : act justly

longed to do justice in the world — Time

b. : to treat fairly or according to merit

to do the man justice, his writing is brilliant

c.

(1) : to treat or handle adequately or properly

not doing full justice to his material — Carl Van Doren

a full schedule may not permit him to do justice to his studies — Bates Boyle

open for experienced salesmen who can do justice to America's outstanding line of small leather goods — Luggage & Leather Goods

(2) : to consume in a manner showing due appreciation

do the food justice

after he likewise had done the liquor justice — Winston Churchill

3. : to acquit in a way that is worthy of one's powers

in the concerto he clearly did not do himself justice

* * *

do justice — see ↑justice

• • •

Main Entry: ↑do

————————

do justice

◇ To do justice to something or someone or to do someone or something justice is to treat or show something or someone in a way that is as good as it should be.

Words could never do justice to her beauty. [=could not adequately describe her beauty]

The movie does not do justice to the book. = The movie does not do the book justice. [=the movie is not as good as the book]

a brief summary that does not do justice to [=does not adequately show] the complexity of this issue

• • •

Main Entry: ↑justice