just now

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "just now" is correct and usable in written English.
It is used to emphasize that something happened very recently or is happening at the present time. Example sentence: Just now, I heard the sound of thunder.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"Just now.

The New York Times

Just now, walking".

The New Yorker

Not just now.

Forbes

Matters look dark just now.

The New York Times

How's Federer feeling just now?

Independent

I feel good just now.

Independent

I just now realized that".

The New Yorker

"Liked" on Facebook just now!

University of California, Berkeley

Not just now anyway.

The Guardian

Not just now, eh?

The Guardian - Sport

"Since when?" "Just now".

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "just now" to emphasize the immediacy of an event or action. This makes your writing more vivid and engaging.

Common error

Avoid using "just now" when "now" alone suffices. "Now" is more general and appropriate when the timing isn't critical. Using "just now" implies the event has concluded or is on the verge of finishing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "just now" primarily functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb or clause to specify the timing of an action or event. As Ludwig AI confirms, it emphasizes the recency of the action. Examples in Ludwig show it indicating when something was seen, heard or realized.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

56%

Science

22%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "just now" is a versatile adverbial phrase employed to emphasize the recent occurrence of an event. According to Ludwig AI, this phrase is grammatically correct and frequently used in writing. With a neutral tone, "just now" appears often in news and media, as well as in scientific and academic contexts. When aiming for alternatives, consider options like "a moment ago" or "recently". Remember to use "just now" to add emphasis to an event or action while ensuring that the use of "now" does not dilute your writing. As shown in Ludwig's examples, this phrase is generally applicable across multiple topics.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a moment ago

Indicates an event occurred very recently, similar to "just now" but with a slightly more distanced feel.

just a second ago

Emphasizes the brevity of the time elapsed, more specific than "just now".

only a moment ago

Emphasizes the very short time that has passed.

seconds ago

More precise than "just now", quantifying the very recent past.

recently

Implies something happened in the near past, less immediate than "just now".

in the immediate past

Formal and descriptive, highlighting the closeness to the present.

shortly

Refers to something happening soon, a future sense that "just now" lacks.

in a moment

Similar to 'shortly', indicating something will happen very soon.

in recent times

Broader timeframe compared to "just now", referring to the recent past generally.

of late

More formal way of saying recently, less immediate than "just now".

FAQs

How can I use "just now" in a sentence?

Use "just now" to indicate something that happened very recently. For example, "I saw her "just now"" means you saw her a moment ago.

What can I say instead of "just now"?

You can use alternatives like "a moment ago", "recently", or "shortly" depending on the specific context.

Which is correct, "just now" or "right now"?

"Just now" refers to something that happened a very short time ago, while "right now" refers to something happening at this exact moment. Their meanings and usages are distinct.

What's the difference between "just now" and "now"?

"Now" indicates the present time in general, while "just now" indicates a moment very close to the present. "Just now" adds emphasis on the recency of the event.