redeem
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redeem (oneself)
To make amends for one's past misdeeds or shortcomings by doing something positive. Matt's grades were not great at the beginning of the semester, but he's totally redeemed himself and gotten A's on every test since. My sister was mad at me for not spending time with her, so I redeemed myself by getting us tickets to see her favorite band.
See also: redeem
redeeming feature
Some positive, favorable, or beneficial trait or aspect of someone or something that offsets or makes up for other negative traits. The one redeeming feature of my long commute to work is that I get the chance to read plenty of books. He has a lot of faults, but his loyalty is his most redeeming feature. This movie is a total failure on every level, with no redeeming features to speak of.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
redeeming feature
A good quality or aspect that makes up for other drawbacks, as in The house isn't very attractive, but the garden is the redeeming feature. This idiom, first recorded in 1827, uses redeem in the sense of "compensate."
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.
a redeeming ˈfeature
something good or positive about somebody/something that is otherwise bad: Her one redeeming feature is her generosity. ♢ The only redeeming feature of the hotel was the swimming pool. Apart from that, it was the worst hotel I’ve ever stayed in.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017