tell the truth and shame the devil

verb

To tell the truth for the sake of being honest and upright, even though doing so may not be to one's personal advantage.

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Meanings

verbtell the truth and shame the devil (third-person singular simple present tells the truth and shames the devil, present participle telling the truth and shaming the devil, simple past and past participle told the truth and shamed the devil)

present singular third person tells the truth and shames the devil · participle present telling the truth and shaming the devil · participle past told the truth and shamed the devil · past told the truth and shamed the devil

  1. To tell the truth for the sake of being honest and upright, even though doing so may not be to one's personal advantage.
Cite this entry
APA

tell the truth and shame the devil. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tell%20the%20truth%20and%20shame%20the%20devil

MLA

“tell the truth and shame the devil.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tell%20the%20truth%20and%20shame%20the%20devil. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tell the truth and shame the devil,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tell%20the%20truth%20and%20shame%20the%20devil.

Source: tell the truth and shame the devil on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.