Just what the doctor ordered Definition 1 of 1Pro Tip 1/3Situational Use Used when something is perfectly suited to one's immediate needs or problems. I was so hungry, and the pizza arrived just what the doctor ordered. Pro Tip 2/3Expressing Relief Commonly used to express relief after receiving something beneficial or soothing. A day off after the busy season was just what the doctor ordered. Pro Tip 3/3Not Literal The phrase is not medical advice but a figure of speech implying something beneficial. That joke was just what the doctor ordered to lighten the mood.