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just

just

1.0
A short time before now
  • adverb
  • /dʒʌst/
translation icon : hace poco
  • She called me just an hour ago to share the news.
  • just now
  • just happened
  • just finished

Look what I just did with kelp jerky.

Examples

  • It was so lovely just to chill out.

  • He just arrived at the party a few minutes ago.

  • I mean, so far it's just been five days.

  • You smell like you just had kids.

  • Next time, just text me.

  • And it looks like I'm just in time.

  • It's weird, but Kenny was just telling me about how much he wanted one.

  • I finished my homework, so I can relax just for a bit.

Synonyms

recently
vsjust
1.0

A short time before now

is for a very short time ago rather than for a broader past period
lately
vsjust
1.0

In the period just before now

is used for a short time ago as a single moment, not an ongoing period
newly
vsjust
361 1.0

Very recently, only a short time ago

is for a short time ago in general, not only new things
just now
vsjust
278 1.0

A very short time ago

is used for a short time ago but less tied to the immediate moment
the other day
vsjust
267 1.7

A few days ago

is for a very short time ago, not for events several days earlier
freshly
vsjust
111 1.0

Very recently made or done

is used for any short time ago event, not only recent completion
of late
vsjust
91 3.3

Happening in the recent past, in the last few weeks or months

is used for a short time ago as a moment, not for a past period
as of late
vsjust
16 3.5

Recently, in the past few weeks or months

is for a short time ago as a moment, not an ongoing span

Antonyms

4 1.0

Before now or before a set time

Idioms

317 1.0

In the same way as another action

278 1.0

A very short time ago

256 3.3

To be ready for something that might happen

198 1.0

Ask someone to wait for a very short time

just like that
  • Informal
183 4.2

Happens suddenly without warning or effort

167 3.5

At the last moment before it is too late

145 1.0

One action happens at the same time as another

just me
  • Informal
103 6.7

Shows only my opinion, not what other people think

After a very short time

52 1.7

At the exact moment something happens

Almost anything you can think of, with only a few exceptions

39 4.4

To do something in a careful, exact way to get the right result

just joking
  • Informal
13 3.7

Said to show something is funny and not serious

7 4.1

An activity for fun that should not be taken personally

just peachy
  • Informal
5 8.8

To say that something is very good or pleasant, often in a sarcastic way to mean the opposite

Exactly what you need in a particular situation

just a pawn
  • Offensive
4 7.7

A person others use to achieve their goals without real power

At the last moment before time runs out

1 7.6

A person who is attractive but thought to have little intelligence or real skill

8.1

To say that someone feels like most other people

A feeling that is hidden but easy to notice

just ceebs
  • Slang
9.9

Feeling too lazy to do something

A foreign tourist, often an American, seen as ordinary or boring

9.8

Say that you feel or want something like most other women

Other people also feel the same way

Compounds

just-in-time
  • Specialized
4 5.0

A system that makes or gets parts exactly when needed to avoid keeping stock

1 7.7

A punishment or reward a person should get

sleep of the just
  • Literature
1 8.4

A deep peaceful rest after living a good life

A made-up reason that pretends to be true to explain why something happens

just a joey
  • Australian
9.9

A person who is new and not experienced in a group or job

9.3

A person seen as not important who follows orders

just sus
  • Slang
9.9

Seeming suspicious without a clear reason

7.9

The smallest change in a sound, weight, or temperature that a person can notice half the time

How Recent

just now
278 1.0
just
1.0
recently
1.0

Surface Forms

just positive
juster comparative
justest superlative

Etymology

Just comes from the old Latin word iustus and the Old French juste, which meant 'right' or 'exact'. Think of 'just now' as 'exactly now', which is why just can mean 'a very short time ago'.