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Definition of justnext
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as in only
nothing more than I was just kidding

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in right
as stated or indicated without the slightest difference the length of the curtain is just right

Synonyms & Similar Words

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just

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adjective

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective just differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of just are conscientious, honest, honorable, scrupulous, and upright. While all these words mean "having or showing a strict regard for what is morally right," just stresses conscious choice and regular practice of what is right or equitable.

workers given just compensation

How are the words conscientious and scrupulous related as synonyms of just?

Both conscientious and scrupulous imply an active moral sense governing all one's actions and painstaking efforts to follow one's conscience.

conscientious in the completion of her assignments
scrupulous in carrying out the terms of the will

Where would honest be a reasonable alternative to just?

In some situations, the words honest and just are roughly equivalent. However, honest stresses adherence to such virtues as truthfulness, candor, or fairness.

known for being honest in business dealings

When might honorable be a better fit than just?

While in some cases nearly identical to just, honorable suggests a firm holding to codes of right behavior and the guidance of a high sense of honor and duty.

a difficult but honorable decision

When is upright a more appropriate choice than just?

The synonyms upright and just are sometimes interchangeable, but upright implies a strict adherence to moral principles.

a stern and upright minister

How does the adjective just differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of just are conscientious, honest, honorable, scrupulous, and upright. While all these words mean "having or showing a strict regard for what is morally right," just stresses conscious choice and regular practice of what is right or equitable.

workers given just compensation

How are the words conscientious and scrupulous related as synonyms of just?

Both conscientious and scrupulous imply an active moral sense governing all one's actions and painstaking efforts to follow one's conscience.

conscientious in the completion of her assignments
scrupulous in carrying out the terms of the will

Where would honest be a reasonable alternative to just?

In some situations, the words honest and just are roughly equivalent. However, honest stresses adherence to such virtues as truthfulness, candor, or fairness.

known for being honest in business dealings

When might honorable be a better fit than just?

While in some cases nearly identical to just, honorable suggests a firm holding to codes of right behavior and the guidance of a high sense of honor and duty.

a difficult but honorable decision

When is upright a more appropriate choice than just?

The synonyms upright and just are sometimes interchangeable, but upright implies a strict adherence to moral principles.

a stern and upright minister

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of just
Adverb
By comparison, Stratton started the year with $1 million after raising about the same amount and spending just under $1 million in the last three months of 2025. Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2026 Witnesses reported seeing a person setting the nearby ditch on fire just before the winds picked up. Christa Swanson, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Any emotional deadlock with someone close should pass in just hours. Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 22 Feb. 2026 Kristen Clarke, the former assistant attorney general for civil rights under the Biden-era Department of Justice, said in a statement that Jackson helped make America a more just nation. Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for just
Recent Examples of Synonyms for just
Adverb
  • From traditional staples like ginseng to barrier-loving ceramides and buzzy newcomers like PDRN, the lineup below captures exactly why Korean skin care continues to shape the global beauty conversation.
    Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 22 Mar. 2026
  • Which is exactly what Golden wants to hear.
    Noah White, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
Adverb
  • My awe had barely subsided when, two minutes later, James got the ball, raced just past the free-throw line, and took flight.
    Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
  • Little Road, barely wide enough for two cars to pass, meanders past older homes and the newer construction of Hillsborough County sprawl.
    Christopher Spata, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026
Adverb
  • This achievement can only be the product of an obsessive, near-philosophical approach to the sandwich as a composition, to the gestalt of the bite.
    Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
  • The new bureau, which will handle only disaster and emergency aid, is part of a larger office that oversees all foreign assistance.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026
Adverb
  • Oreade, the fine dining restaurant, is where Chef Riccardo Bacciottini unleashes his creativity and technical prowess, using local ingredients (many plucked right from the hotel’s gardens) to make sublime dishes like tomato tartare with basil and miso or artichokes confited with pepper sauce.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Mar. 2026
  • As the doc unfolds, Mayeri walks right into the darkest stuff the girls experienced (and which nearly ripped them apart), from drugs and alcohol to abusive relationships and deep tragedy.
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 17 Mar. 2026
Adverb
  • You could also be involved in translation efforts — which could involve literal foreign languages or simply explaining complex ideas in words everyone can understand.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026
  • The Gators can have that effect, simply sucking the will out of opponents with two, three, four shots in a possession, but the making of this machine is significantly more complex.
    Noah White, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
Adverb
  • On the admin end, colleges have been lately cowed by new regulations at the Department of Education.
    Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 20 Mar. 2026
  • BigXthaPlug has been on a roll lately, landing on the cover of Rolling Stone this month.
    Travis Pinson, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • But even a justified intervention can erode democratic norms if undertaken without sustained public explanation.
    Kenneth Zagacki, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026
  • The former mayor also added no local government had done more than the city of Sacramento to address homelessness, though residents’ frustration is absolutely justified.
    Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • So, the logical move would be to turn to the draft, and there’s a strong possibility that the Panthers will do just that.
    Mike Kaye March 16, Charlotte Observer, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Geographically, Minnesota, Memphis and New Orleans would be the most logical candidates to go from West to East.
    Dallas Morning News, Dallas Morning News, 16 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Just.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/just. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.

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