# just

Pronunciation: say "JUST" /d͡ʒʌst/

## Adverb

1. Only, simply, or merely; no more than what is named.
   - Simple: Only, or simply, as in 'it's just a cold'.
   - _He is just a boy._
   - _We are just friends._
2. At a very small distance in time or space from a stated point, whether before it, after it, or away from it.
   - Simple: Very close to a certain time or place, only a short time or distance before, after, or away from it.
   - _The phone rang just after we sat down to dinner._
   - _They bought a small farm just outside the city limits._
3. Exactly, precisely, or perfectly, as in just right, just enough, or just as planned.
   - Simple: Exactly, as in 'just right' or 'just what I wanted'.
   - _The shoes fit just as I hoped._
   - _This soup tastes just the way my grandmother used to make it._
4. Moments ago or only very recently, used with the simple past or the perfect, as in she has just arrived.
   - Simple: A very short time ago, as in 'they just left'.
   - _The train has just pulled out._
   - _She just called to say she is safe._
5. Absolutely or positively, used to intensify rather than to limit.
   - Simple: Used for emphasis, meaning 'completely', as in 'just perfect'.
   - _That cake was just wonderful._
   - _The view is just amazing._
6. Used before a command to make it sound simpler, gentler, or more insistent.
   - Simple: Used before telling someone to do something, to make it sound easy or to push them.
   - _Just sign here and you're done._
   - _Just take your time._
7. Barely, or by a narrow margin.
   - Simple: By a very small amount, as in 'just in time'.
   - _The plane just cleared the trees._
   - _We just managed to squeeze through the gap._
8. Used to make a statement or request sound casual and minor, presenting the action as light and unimportant.
   - Simple: Used to make what you say sound casual and small.
   - _We just wanted to check you were all right._
   - _Sorry to bother you, but could I just ask one quick question before you go?_
9. Added to "might", "may", or "could" to hint that something is possible, perhaps more than anyone would expect.
   - Simple: Used with "might", "may", or "could" to say that something is possible, maybe more than you think.
   - _If the rain holds off, this little team may just pull off the upset of the season._
   - _Keep that receipt, because you might just need it if the TV breaks._
11. Used before 'to' or 'for' to introduce a disappointing outcome that wastes what went before.
   - Simple: Used before 'to' or 'for' to say what happened next spoiled everything.
   - _She trained all year, just to miss the final by a second._
   - _He bought the tickets, just for the show to be called off._
14. Right at the moment being talked about, or on the point of happening; usually followed by a progressive verb, as in I'm just leaving.
   - Simple: At the exact moment you are talking about, or very soon after. Usually comes before a word ending in -ing.
   - _The movie is just starting, so grab your popcorn and find a seat._
   - _The train was just pulling out of the station as she reached the platform._

## Adjective

10. Morally right, upright, and fair; acting or given in accordance with what is right and deserved.
   - Simple: Fair and morally right, treating everyone as they deserve.
   - _A just ruler listens to the poor as well as the rich._
   - _The punishment was harsh but just._
12. Correct, accurate, or well-founded; true to the facts or sound in reasoning.
   - Simple: Correct and fair to the facts, or based on good reasons.
   - _Reading the review again a week later, the director conceded that its harshest points were just._
   - _The editor's objection was entirely just, since the chapter's dates contradicted the sources it cited._
13. Proper, adequate, or of the due amount.
   - Simple: Proper or enough, in an old-fashioned use, as in 'a just amount'.

## Origin

Latin "iūstus" ("just, lawful, rightful, proper") passed into Old French as "juste" and then into Middle English as "juste". The Latin word is linked to "iūs" ("law, right") and goes back through Proto-Italic to Proto-Indo-European.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/just (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).