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just

just

1.0
Only the person, thing, or amount mentioned
  • adverb
  • /dʒʌst/
translation icon : solo
  • I can actually sit and concentrate on just one thought and not get anxious.
  • just one
  • just a few
  • just want

But there's more than just a tree, right?

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Examples

  • So I think we should just dive right in.

  • So we can do more than just find.

  • Like I would sit around and just do this.

  • But maybe we should just let it go.

  • And at that point, you just go with it, right?

  • Your journey is your own, so just ride with it.

  • All you have to do is just prove it to 'em.

  • You just need to practice.

  • Sometimes, for yourself, you have to just stop and focus on nothing but your breathing.

    Academic text (2015)
  • She wants to just finish her homework before dinner.

Synonyms

only
vsjust
1.0

No more than the thing or person mentioned

is the same meaning while expressed with a different common word
simply
vsjust
1.0

You say this when something is only what is said, nothing more

marks a strict limit on amount or thing rather than plainness
nothing but
vsjust
1.5

Only, not anything else

is the same idea while stated as a short phrase rather than another word
merely
vsjust
836 3.1

Only and nothing more

states a neutral limit on amount without added emphasis
purely
vsjust
277 2.5

Only and not for any other reason

restricts attention to the amount or thing named, not to single cause
solely
vsjust
241 4.0

Only, not involving anyone or anything else

focuses on the amount or number mentioned rather than exclusive involvement
but
vsjust
  • Literature
17 1.0

Only a small amount or a short time

is the same limiting idea while using a different common word form

Antonyms

1.0

To a greater degree

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 Limited

just
1.0
merely
836 3.1
simply
110 1.0

Surface Forms

just positive
juster comparative
justest superlative

Etymology

Just comes from Latin iustus ('right' or 'exact') and Old French juste, and it grew to mean 'only' or 'no more than'. So when you say 'I'm just a student' you mean 'no more than a student'.