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 of enough

Adverb

• sufficiently
• adequately
• properly

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

Not making enough stops defensively to thwart the Heat while subsequently only hitting 7 of 21 attempts in the final 12 minutes doomed the Hornets. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 7 Mar. 2026

This oceanfront resort is one of the most luxe options among the hotels in Santa Monica, with oversized, stylishly elegant rooms, elevated service, and a standout Michael Mina restaurant, not to mention the ultra-luxurious Guerlain Wellness Spa, which is reason enough to book. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Mar. 2026

Adverb

Keep in mind that while summer is officially December through February, the weather is often warm enough to enjoy a day at the beach in the fall (March–May) or spring (September–November). —Madeline Bilis, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2026

Leather sneakers like this on-sale pair up the fashion ante and are durable enough to guarantee multi-season wear. —Cheryl Wagemann, InStyle, 8 Mar. 2026

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

Rhymes for enough

• dyestuff
• foodstuff
• handcuff
• rebuff
• tartuffe
• buff
• cuff
• duff
• fluff
• gruff
• hough
• huff

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