just

A1 Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled jes, jis, jist, and joost

US [d͡ʒʌst] UK /d͡ʒʌst/ See IPA manual

Freq #35

Meanings

1

adv
A very short time ago.

I have just finished painting the walls, so don't touch them.
2

adv
Only; simply; no more than.

Just plant a few tomatoes and water them every day.
3

adv
Exactly; precisely.

That dress is just right for the party.
4

adj
Fair and morally right.

Everyone hoped for a just and lasting peace.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · a very short time ago. just now

2 adv · only; simply; no more than. simply

More adequate correct equitable exactly freshly hardly lately merely narrowly newly proper right

Opposites

unjust

Word family

Forms justerjustestjustness

Derived forms just-in-timejustlyjustnessover-justoverjust

Related forms justice

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

just reward
A reward that is fair and deserved.

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (32)

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Simplified etymology

Just, recorded since late Middle English, ultimately comes from the Latin legal-word family based on jus, “law.” Judge, justice, and injury share this root.

Etymology

From Middle English juste, from Old French juste, from Latin iūstus (“just, lawful, rightful, true, due, proper, moderate”), from Proto-Italic *jowestos, related to Latin iūs (“law, right”); ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂yew-. Compare Scots juist (“just”), Saterland Frisian juust (“just”), West Frisian just (“just”), Dutch juist (“just”), German Low German jüst (“jüst”), German just (“just”), Danish just (“just”), Swedish just (“just”). Doublet of giusto.

*h₂yew- Proto-Indo-European juste Middle English iūstus Latin *jowestos Proto-Italic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# just

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** adv, adj
**IPA (US):** [d͡ʒʌst]
**IPA (UK):** /d͡ʒʌst/
**Frequency rank:** 35

## Meanings
1. A very short time ago.
2. Only; simply; no more than.
3. Exactly; precisely.
4. Fair and morally right.

## Examples
- I have just finished painting the walls, so don't touch them.
- Just plant a few tomatoes and water them every day.
- That dress is just right for the party.
- Everyone hoped for a just and lasting peace.

## Synonyms
- adequate
- correct
- equitable
- exactly
- freshly
- hardly
- lately
- merely
- narrowly
- newly
- proper
- right

## Antonyms
- unjust

## Derived Forms
- just-in-time
- justly
- justness
- over-just
- overjust

## Related Forms
- justice

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₂yew-
- Root: juste
- Root: iūstus
- Root: *jowestos

## Etymology
From Middle English juste, from Old French juste, from Latin iūstus (“just, lawful, rightful, true, due, proper, moderate”), from Proto-Italic *jowestos, related to Latin iūs (“law, right”); ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂yew-. Compare Scots juist (“just”), Saterland Frisian juust (“just”), West Frisian just (“just”), Dutch juist (“just”), German Low German jüst (“jüst”), German just (“just”), Danish just (“just”), Swedish just (“just”). Doublet of giusto.

## AI Etymology
Just comes from Middle English juste, from Old French juste, from Latin iūstus (“just, lawful, rightful, true, due, proper, moderate”), from Proto-Italic *jowestos, related to Latin iūs (“law, right”); ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂yew-. Compare Scots juist (“just”), Saterland Frisian juust (“just”), West Frisian just (“just”), Dutch juist (“just”), German Low German jüst (“jüst”), German just (“just”), Danish just (“just”), Swedish just (“just”). Doublet of giusto.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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