different between straight vs just

English

Alternative forms

• streight (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English streight, streght, strei?t, the past participle of strecchen (“to stretch”), from Old English stre??an (past participle ?estreaht, ?estreht), from Proto-West Germanic *strakkjan (“to stretch”). Doublet of straught.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /st?e?t/
• Rhymes: -e?t
• Homophone: strait

Adjective

straight (comparative straighter, superlative straightest)

1. Not crooked or bent; having a constant direction throughout its length. [from 14^thc.]
   • 1811, Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility:

     I do not like crooked, twisted, blasted trees. I admire them much more if they are tall, straight and flourishing.

   • “Heavens!” exclaimed Nina, “the blue-stocking and the fogy!—and yours are pale blue, Eileen!—you’re about as self-conscious as Drina—slumping there with your hair tumbling à la Mérode! Oh, it's very picturesque, of course, but a straight spine and good grooming is better. […]”

   • 2011, Adharanand Finn, The Guardian, 22 March:

     The other people, I presume, are supposed to be standing to attention, but they're all smiling at me. The lines are not even straight.

2. (of a path, trajectory, etc.) Direct, undeviating. [from 15^thc.]
   • 1913, John Fox, Jr., The Kentuckians, page 185:

     Now, as the world knows, the straightest way to the heart of the honest voter is through the women of the land, and the straightest way to the heart of the women is through the children of the land; and one method of winning both, with rural politicians, is to kiss the babies wide and far.
3. Perfectly horizontal or vertical; not diagonal or oblique. [from 17^thc.]
   • 1925, United States House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee No. 1, Charges Against William E. Baker, U.S. District Judge:

     Mr. Coniff: He did not have his hat on straight; that is the one thing, is it?
4. (cricket) Describing the bat as held so as not to incline to either side; on, or near a line running between the two wickets. [from 19^thc.]
   • 2011 March 15, Alan Gardner & Barney Ronay, The Guardian:

     Steyn continues and it's all a bit more orderly down his end as O'Brien defends the first three balls with a straight bat and a respectful dip of the head.

5. Direct in communication; unevasive, straightforward. [from 19^thc.]
   • 2003, Rosie Cowan, The Guardian, 24 April:

     Tony Blair issued a direct challenge to the IRA yesterday when he demanded they give straight answers to three simple questions […].
6. Free from dishonesty; honest, law-abiding. [from 16th c.]
   • 1879, Anthony Trollope, John Caldigate:

     ‘It wasn't the proper thing, squoire. It wasn't straight.’

   • 2010 August 4, The Guardian, Out of prison and trying to go straight [2]:

     How easy is it to go straight after a life spent in and out of prison?

7. Serious rather than comedic.
   • 1988, Ed Gould, Entertaining Canadians: Canada's international stars, 1900-1988, Cappis Pr Pub Ltd (?ISBN):

     Allan Blye, a CBC-TV mainstay in the early Sixties, worked as a singer, writer and straight and comedic actor.

   • 2004, Tammy Ravas, Peter Schickele: A Bio-bibliography, Greenwood Publishing Group (?ISBN):

     All of Peter Schickele's music, both straight and comedic are integrated side by side in this chapter.

   • 2005, Bob McCabe, The Rough Guide to Comedy Movies, Rough Guides Limited:

     More success followed, both straight and comedic, with hits such as Dead Poets' Society (1989), in which Williams scored another Oscar nomination for skilfully handling a classic "rogue teacher" role that hovers just this side of sentimentality, […]

8. In proper order; as it should be. [from 19^thc.]
   • 2010, Paul Gallagher, The Observer, 15 August:

     "If you wonder why folks can't take the news seriously, here's Exhibit A," said one blogger. "Lord Jesus, how can the reporter file this story with a straight face?"

9. In a row, in unbroken sequence; consecutive. [from 19^thc.]
   • 2008, "Bad vibrations", The Economist, 30 October:

     As of October 29th, three-month dollar Libor (the rate at which banks borrow from each other) had fallen for 13 straight days and was nearly one-and-a-half percentage points below its October 10th level.

10. (tennis) Describing the sets in a match of which the winner did not lose a single set. [from 19^thc.]
    • 2011 February 10, Press Association:

      Murray started well against Marcos Baghdatis before slumping to defeat in straight sets and the British No1 admitted he may not have been mentally prepared for the rigours of the ATP Tour after a gruelling start to 2011.

11. (US, politics) Making no exceptions or deviations in one's support of the organization and candidates of a political party.

12. (US, politics) Containing the names of all the regularly nominated candidates of a party and no others.

13. (colloquial) Conventional, mainstream, socially acceptable. [from 20^thc.]
    • 1998, Eileen Fitzpatrick & Dominic Pride, Billboard, 17 October 1998:

      ‘Her last album was a bit too straight,’ he says, ‘but this one puts her in a more contemporary framework and softens her music.’
14. (colloquial) Heterosexual, attracted to people of the opposite sex.
    • 2007, Layla Kumari, The Guardian, 17 September:

      Some of my friends – gay and straight – seem unable to understand the close but platonic nature of my and Gian's relationship, but have been supportive.
15. (colloquial, of a romantic or sexual relation) Occurring between people of opposite sex.

    straight marriage, sex, relationships

16. (colloquial) Not using alcohol, drugs, etc. [from 20^thc.]

    Synonym: straightedge

    • 1989, Gus Van Sant, Drugstore Cowboy:

      For all the boredom the straight life brings, it's not too bad.
17. (fashion) Not plus size; thin.

18. (rare, now chiefly religion) Strait; narrow.
19. (obsolete) Stretched out; fully extended. [15^th-16^thc.]
20. (slang) Thorough; utter; unqualified.
    • 2012, Pimpin' Ken, PIMPOLOGY: The 48 Laws of the Game, page 11:

      A real pimp is a gentleman, but these are pimps in gorilla suits. They hang around pimps, they have hoes on the track working for them, they may even look like pimps, but they are straight simps.

21. Of spirits: undiluted, unmixed; neat. [from 19^thc.]
22. (sciences, mathematics) Concerning the property allowing the parallel-transport of vectors along a course that keeps tangent vectors remain tangent vectors throughout that course (a course which is straight, a straight curve, is a geodesic).

Antonyms

• bent
• crooked
• curved

Derived terms

Descendants

• ? Japanese: ?????

Translations

Adverb

straight (comparative more straight, superlative most straight)

1. Of a direction relative to the subject, precisely; as if following a direct line.

   The door will be straight ahead of you.

   Go straight back.

2. Directly; without pause, delay or detour.

   On arriving at work, he went straight to his office.

   • I know thy generous temper well; / Fling but the appearance of dishonour on it, / It straight takes fire, and mounts into a blaze.

3. Continuously; without interruption or pause.

   He claims he can hold his breath for three minutes straight.

Translations

Noun

straight (plural straights)

1. Something that is not crooked or bent such as a part of a road or track.
2. (poker) Five cards in sequence.
3. (colloquial) A heterosexual.

   Synonyms: hetero, breeder

4. (slang) A normal person; someone in mainstream society.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:mainstreamer
5. (slang) A cigarette, particularly one containing tobacco instead of marijuana. [from 20th c.]

   Synonym: straighter

   • [1923, J[oseph] Manchon, Le slang : lexique de l'anglais familier et vulgaire : précédé d'une étude sur la pronunciation et la grammaire populaires, p. 296:

     A straight = a straighter = a straight cut, une cigarette en tabac de Virginie.]

Descendants

• ? Japanese: ????? (sutor?to)
• ? Portuguese: straight

Translations

Verb

straight (third-person singular simple present straights, present participle straighting, simple past and past participle straighted)

1. (transitive) To straighten.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of A. Smith to this entry?)

See also

Portuguese

Etymology

From English straight.

Noun

straight m (plural straights)

1. (poker) straight (five cards in sequence)

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /d???st/
• Rhymes: -?st

Etymology 1

From Middle English juste, from Old French juste, from Latin i?stus (“just, lawful, rightful, true, due, proper, moderate”), from Proto-Italic *jowestos, related to Latin i?s (“law, right”); ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h?yew-. Compare Scots juist (“just”), Saterland Frisian juust (“just”), West Frisian just (“just”), Dutch juist (“just”), German Low German jüst (“jüst”), German just (“just”), Danish just (“just”), Swedish just (“just”). Doublet of giusto.

Alternative forms

• jes, jes', jest, jist, jus'

Adjective

just (comparative juster or more just, superlative justest or most just)

1. Factually right, correct; factual.

   It is a just assessment of the facts.

2. Rationally right, correct.
3. Morally right; upright, righteous, equitable; fair.

   It looks like a just solution at first glance.

   • c. 1591, William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 1, Act, Scene ,^[1]

     My lord, we know your grace to be a man

     Just and upright.

   • 1611, King James Version of the Bible, Colossians 4:1,^[2]

     Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.

   • 1901, H. G. Wells, The First Men in the Moon, Chapter 23,^[3]

     Looking back over my previously written account of these things, I must insist that I have been altogether juster to Cavor than he has been to me.

4. Proper, adequate.

Synonyms

• right, correct
• righteous, equitable
• proper, adequate

Antonyms

• unjust

Derived terms

• justly
• justness
• sleep of the just

Related terms

• justice

Translations

Adverb

just (not comparable)

1. Only, simply, merely.
2. (sentence adverb) Used to reduce the force of an imperative; simply.

3. Used to convey a less serious or formal tone

4. Used to show humility.

5. (degree) absolutely, positively

6. Moments ago, recently.
7. By a narrow margin; closely; nearly.
8. Exactly, precisely, perfectly.

   • And having just enough, not covet more.

Synonyms

• (only): merely, simply; see also Thesaurus:merely
• (recently): freshly, lately, newly
• (by a narrow margin): barely, hardly, scarcely; see also Thesaurus:slightly
• (exactly): on the dot, smack-dab; see also Thesaurus:exactly

Derived terms

Translations

Interjection

just

1. (slang) Expressing dismay or discontent.

Etymology 2

Variation of joust, presumably ultimately from Latin iuxta (“near, besides”).

Noun

just (plural justs)

1. A joust, tournament.

Verb

just (third-person singular simple present justs, present participle justing, simple past and past participle justed)

1. To joust, fight a tournament.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Fairfax to this entry?)

Translations

References

• just in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• just in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• UJTs, juts

Catalan

Etymology

From Old Occitan, from Latin i?stus, j?stus, from Proto-Italic *jowestos, from Proto-Indo-European *h?yew-.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /??ust/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /?d??ust/

Adjective

just (feminine justa, masculine plural justs or justos, feminine plural justes)

1. fair; just

   Antonym: injust

2. perfect, almost perfect

Derived terms

• justament
• justesa
• preu just
• tot just

Related terms

• injust
• injustícia
• justícia

Adverb

just

1. justly

Further reading

• “just” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “just” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “just” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “just” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Estonian

Etymology

From Middle Low German just or Swedish just. Possibly from German just. See also justament

Adverb

just

1. exactly, precisely, just

   Sa tulid just parajal ajal.

   You came just at the right time.

2. recently, just now, just

   Ma jõudsin just koju.

   I just got home.

3. really (softens what has been said)

   Ta pole just töökas mees.

   He isn't much of a worker.

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from Swedish just.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?just/, [?jus?t?]
• Rhymes: -ust
• Syllabification: just

Adverb

just

1. (colloquial, dialectal) just, exactly, precisely, perfectly

2. (colloquial) recently, just now

Interjection

just

1. (colloquial) I see, uh-huh, oh well

Synonyms

both:

• aivan
• juuri
• justiin
• justiinsa
• justsa

adverb:

• ihan
• tarkalleen
• täsmälleen

Friulian

Etymology

From Latin i?stus, j?stus.

Adjective

just

1. just, right, correct, proper
2. exact
3. adequate
4. apt

Derived terms

• justeapont
• justeben

Related terms

• justâ
• juste
• justece
• justificâ
• justizie

German

Etymology

Latin i?ste, i?stus

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /j?st/

Adverb

just

1. (solemn) just

   Synonyms: gerade, (archaic) justament

Further reading

• “just” in Duden online
• “just” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Latvian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [just]

Verb

just (tr., 1st conj., pres. j?tu, j?ti, j?t, past jutu)

1. to feel (to perceive with one's sense organs)

2. to sense
3. to palp
4. to have a sensation

Conjugation

Derived terms

prefixed verbs:

• izjust
• pajust
• sajust

other derived terms:

• justies

Old French

Verb

just

1. third-person singular past historic of gesir

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French juste, Latin j?stus, i?stus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ust/

Adjective

just m or n (feminine singular just?, masculine plural ju?ti, feminine and neuter plural juste)

1. just, correct

Synonyms

• drept, adev?rat, echitabil

Swedish

Pronunciation

Adverb

just (not comparable)

1. just; quite recently; only moments ago
2. just; only, simply
3. exactly, precisely

   Just nu

   Right now (At this precise moment)

   Det var just vad jag ville ha!

   That's exactly what I wanted!