Make not the devil blacker than he is.

Even when someone deserves criticism, it is unfair to exaggerate their faults. A judgment should reflect what is known rather than add imagined offenses.

The proverb asks for proportion, not leniency. Recognizing that a person or situation is bad does not justify making it sound worse than it really is.

Use it to challenge an exaggerated accusation or an overly harsh description. It is most useful when the underlying criticism may be valid but the details have been overstated.