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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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

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
According to investigators with the Adams County Sheriff's Office, razor blades were glued to some fuel pumps just above the keypads where the skimming devices were found. — Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 The results from JPMorgan , Citigroup , Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs were mostly healthy, with credit metrics pointing to a resilient economy and investment banking activity still robust, just not as robust as in the blistering second quarter. — Kevin Stankiewicz,alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
Adjective
Kelly Osbourne is sharing the deeply personal message her father, Ozzy Osbourne, gave her just days before his death. — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026 In fact, similar materials that take months to produce can be created in just days. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for just
Recent Examples of Synonyms for just
Adverb
  • More than half of people using AI at work worried that using it on important tasks would create exactly that impression.
    — Christoph Trattner, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Looking at its businesses, what exactly makes Qnity so essential to the chipmaking process?
    — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Adverb
  • Shakir was streaking down the left sideline when Kam Kinchens dove and just barely was able to swipe at Shakir’s feet, causing the receiver to go down.
    — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
  • When an agent does all of it, the brand barely meets the shopper.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Adverb
  • Brought to Spain, the Colombian prostitutes are required to work off a debt run up by not only the airfare but much more.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Moncler was founded in 1952 in Monestier-de-Clermont, and the mountains are not only the brand’s physical birthplace, but are also symbolic of its goal to aim higher, Ruffini has often said.
    — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
Adverb
  • If elected, Whiting wants to dive right in to figure out other ways to expedite permitting, including through the use of AI and other tech.
    — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
  • And right in the middle is a cutout whose shape evokes the head of a bald eagle — and that's the name that Krasner gave to this collage.
    — Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 10 Oct. 2026
Adverb
  • The track simply stops rather than fades away—no easy answers, no resolution.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The rising tide that has been the Drive to Survive effect has lifted more boats in motorsport than simply Formula 1’s.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026
Adverb
  • Matières Fécales and Christian Louboutin’s shoes have been receiving some celebrity buzz lately.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Our staffer’s been enjoying back pocket recipes lately—with the first one inspired by Richard Olney, the Iowan painter, food writer, and Parisian ex-pat.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Longer life offsets costs The researchers also examined whether the additional electronics could be economically justified.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles, in a memo to school board members, presented a counter interpretation and said the state team exaggerated the crisis and was implicitly faulting justified wage increases.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Perhaps the squad took his ball-respecting mantra to its logical extreme, seemingly reluctant to sully it by smashing it into the net, with Chelsea recording the biggest xG underperformance in the Premier League during his brief tenure.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The rebuttal, though methodical and logical, was little more than a momentary speed bump for the runaway popularity of the psychedelic bread story.
    — Jennifer Byrne, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Just.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/just. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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