enough

1 of 3

adjective

i-ˈnəf 

ē-,

ə-

: occurring in such quantity, quality, or scope as to fully meet demands, needs, or expectations

enough food for everyone

enough

2 of 3

adverb

1

: in or to a degree or quantity that satisfies or that is sufficient or necessary for satisfaction : sufficiently

2

: fully, quite

he is qualified enough for the position

3

: in a tolerable degree

she sang well enough

enough

3 of 3

pronoun

: a sufficient number, quantity, or amount

enough were present to constitute a quorum

had enough of their foolishness

—often used interjectionally

Synonyms

Adverb

• adequately
• satisfactorily
• sufficiently
• suitably

Choose the Right Synonym for enough

sufficient, enough, adequate, competent mean being what is necessary or desirable.

sufficient suggests a close meeting of a need.

sufficient savings

enough is less exact in suggestion than sufficient.

do you have enough food?

adequate may imply barely meeting a requirement.

the service was adequate

competent suggests measuring up to all requirements without question or being adequately adapted to an end.

had no competent notion of what was going on

Examples of enough in a Sentence

Adjective

Have you got enough money?

That's enough talk for now; let's get started.

There's enough food for everyone.

Adverb

I couldn't run fast enough to catch up with her.

She's old enough to know better.

Are you rich enough to retire?

That's good enough for me.

Oddly enough, they've never actually met.

As if the crowds aren't bad enough, the parking situation is terrible.

We can do it if they help enough.

Pronoun

Have you had enough to eat?

He hasn't had much Spanish, but he knows enough to get by.

The crowds are enough of a problem as it is, without having to worry about parking as well!

It's enough to drive you crazy!

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

His potential was enough that the Chargers traded with New England to move up three spots in the second round to draft him. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2024

But just a brief taste of the corporate world was enough to convince him to put his all (both physically and with every penny of his $25,000 in savings) into making Octopus Investments a success. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 27 Apr. 2024

However, if the family wishes to bring the body home for reburial, an identification by phone would not be enough for the Bosnian authorities to release it. —Ingrid Gercama, NPR, 27 Apr. 2024

But there are enough out there to help scientists like me search for the most powerful neutrino emitters in the universe and study the limitless space in between. —Doug Cowen, Discover Magazine, 27 Apr. 2024

If its 18-hole championship golf course isn’t enough to keep your attention, nearby hotspots like DuBois Park and the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum are worth a visit. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 26 Apr. 2024

When completed, the project will have two million solar panels and two large battery installations totaling about 900 megawatts, which is typically enough to power about 200,000 homes. —Alexandra Hardle, The Arizona Republic, 26 Apr. 2024

The shades charge by USB and a 6-hour charge is enough to run the blinds for three to six months. —Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Apr. 2024

And if that wasn’t enough, there is a final oddball feature of DJT stock that could trigger an explosion in prices, up or down. —Bernard Condon, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2024

Adverb

Packing for a trip is stressful enough, but choosing the right outfit to wear on the plane is a land mine for potential mistakes that can throw your flight into flux. —Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2024

Researchers inside and outside of the collaboration all stress that the evidence is not strong enough to claim a discovery. —Charlie Wood, WIRED, 28 Apr. 2024

Funnily enough, several members of his team have started dressing in a suspiciously similar manner, which my client rather enjoys. —Simon Crompton, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2024

Related Content Musk passes Zuckerberg, Trump gets more, Jamie Dimon's 'booming' economy: Leadership news roundup Washing your produce, Google Maps tricks, and a good TSA dog's goodbye: Lifestyle news roundup Are self-driving cars safe enough yet? —Mike Schneider, Quartz, 28 Apr. 2024

Martino conceded that going behind early is an issue the team will continue to address, but so far, Messi and his teammates have been able to score enough to get the team out of trouble. —Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2024

Despite decades of roundups, the snake population remains substantial, and, besides, snake attacks aren’t common or fatal enough to warrant yearly culls. —John Paul Brammer, The New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2024

Just make sure your lighting system is tight enough. —Anna Miller, Sacramento Bee, 26 Apr. 2024

For drinks, a set of elegant short glasses is versatile enough for cocktails, wine, or water. —Lizzy Briskin, Bon Appétit, 26 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English ynough, from Old English genōg (akin to Old High German ginuog enough), from ge- (perfective prefix) + -nōg; akin to Latin nancisci to get, Greek enenkein to carry — more at co-

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Pronoun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing enough

• be kind enough
• enough is enough
• enough/plenty to go around
• enough/plenty to go round
• enough said
• fair enough
• leave/let well (enough) alone
• leave well enough alone
• let well enough alone
• old enough to know better
• soon enough
• sure enough
• would you be good enough

Kids Definition

enough

1 of 3 adjective

i-ˈnəf 

: equal to the demands or needs : sufficient

enough

2 of 3 adverb

1

: in or to a sufficient amount or degree : sufficiently

ran fast enough

2

: fully sense 1, quite

qualified enough for the job

3

: so as to be moderately good : tolerably

sang well enough

enough

3 of 3 noun

: a sufficient quantity

enough to meet our needs