English

Verb

do justice ‎(third-person singular simple present does justice, present participle doing justice, simple past did justice, past participle done justice)

1. (idiomatic) To allow to be apprehended in its full scope.
   • 2009 March 30, “Newark police cite man for driving drunk after crashing motorized barstool”, in The Advocate:

     It was classified as "all others" under vehicle type […] , but that category doesn't do a motorized barstool justice.

   • 2012 April 29, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Treehouse of Horror III” (season 4, episode 5; originally aired 10/29/1992)”, in (Please provide the title of the work):

     And it’s daunting because each segment has to tell a full, complete story in something like six minutes while doing justice to revered source material and including the non-stop laughs and genius gags that characterized The Simpsons in its god-like prime.

2. (idiomatic) To enjoy to the full.
   • Arthur Russell Thorndike, The Scarecrow Rides

     […] a magnificent cold supper was awaiting him in the dining-room, where he did full justice to a game pie and a bottle of claret.

Usage notes

• Typically, this is followed by to and its patient or has the patient intervening between do and justice.

Translations