give the devil his due
To acknowledge the positive qualities of a person who is unpleasant or disliked.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I dislike him, but I must give the devil his due.”
“Although I disagree with his politics, I must give the devil his due and admit he is a brilliant speaker.”
“While his personality was often abrasive and difficult to endure, one had to give the devil his due regarding his unmatched expertise in the field.”
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blue devils
Low spirits; depression.
- 02
dance with the devil
To engage in risky and immoral behavior.
- 03
devil dancing
Risky, reckless or potentially immoral behavior.
- 04
devil in disguise
A person or thing that appears to be good, honest, or upstanding, but is inherently nasty, evil, or damaging.
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devil lies in the details
Synonym of devil is in the details.
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devil's advocate
One who debates from a viewpoint which one may not actually hold, usually to determine its validity or simply for the sake of argument.
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devil's luck
astounding good luck.
- 08
don't give up your day job
Somewhat sarcastic but usually good-natured advice used to criticise a person's degree of talent (especially in music or other performing arts), implying that they are unlikely to be successful.
Last updated August 10, 2026