just now
Seconds ago, literally
Just now means at this very moment or in the immediate past.
It can indicate something happening right now: I'm busy just now.
More often it refers to something that occurred moments ago: She just now walked out the door.
In some dialects, particularly South African English, just now loosely means soon or in a little while.
Briefest unit of time
- secondUnit smaller than minute
- this instantAt the present moment
- split secondInfinitesimal unit of time
- heartbeatRhythmic cardiac contraction
breath · flash · tick · jiffy · blink · twinkling · immediately · freshly
instant
Briefest unit of time
- secondUnit smaller than minute
- this instantAt the present moment
- split secondInfinitesimal unit of time
heartbeat · breath · flash · tick · jiffy · blink · twinkling · immediately · freshly · newly
- time phrasesall day, all night, in time, on time, any minute
- time expressionstoday, soon, tomorrow, later, yesterday
- time wordsminute, hour, day, soon, today
- recent pastyesterday, last week, last month, this morning, last night
- South Africanismsag, bra, oom, gogo, mama
- nowpresent, moment, instant, today, currently
just nowlong ago
In the distant past
a long time ago · ages ago · way back · eons ago · once upon a time
just nowin a moment
Imminently, very soon
shortly · momentarily · imminently · any moment now · soon