do (one) wrong
slang To mistreat, deceive, or betray one. I can't believe that you're the one who did me wrong and sabotaged my presentation! That traveling salesman sure did me wrong by running off with my money. You can't do these people wrong and expect them to continue doing business with you.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
do someone wrong
Also, do someone damage or harm . Injure someone; be unfaithful or disloyal; act unjustly or unfairly toward someone. For example, John's done me wrong, and I intend to tell him so, or She did him real damage when she started that rumor: The first term dates from the late 1300s; the substitutions of damage and harm are newer. However, while these locutions are still current, a more common modern usage is to turn them into verbal phrases-that is, wrong someone, harm someone, damage someone.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
do (someone) wrong
Informal To be unfaithful or disloyal.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.