only just

adverb

recently; just now

“I got 51%, so I only just passed the exam.”

Meanings

adverb
  1. recently; just now

    I've only just cleaned the floor, and you've made muddy tracks!

  2. barely; by only a small margin

    I got 51%, so I only just passed the exam.

    Synonyms: scarcely, barely, just, hardly, scarcely

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbbarely; by only a small margin

Cite this entry
APA

only just. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/only%20just

MLA

“only just.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/only%20just. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “only just,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/only%20just.

Source: only just on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.