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Definition of enoughnext
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enough

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adjective

enough

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective enough contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of enough are adequate, competent, and sufficient. While all these words mean "being what is necessary or desirable," enough is less exact in suggestion than sufficient.

do you have enough food?

When would adequate be a good substitute for enough?

Although the words adequate and enough have much in common, adequate may imply barely meeting a requirement.

the service was adequate

When is it sensible to use competent instead of enough?

The words competent and enough can be used in similar contexts, but 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

When is sufficient a more appropriate choice than enough?

The synonyms sufficient and enough are sometimes interchangeable, but sufficient suggests a close meeting of a need.

sufficient savings

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of enough
Adverb
In March, engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California completed tests on rotor designs that could be used to fly those drones, spinning the experimental helicopter blades fast enough for their tips to exceed Mach 1 (the speed of sound). Josh Dinner, Space.com, 17 May 2026 Trying to stay afloat in an expensive city like Paris is tough enough, but piling onto Garance’s gig-economy hurdles is her terminally ill sister, and a romantic life that seems to be going nowhere. Tomris Laffly, Variety, 17 May 2026
Adjective
The market helps determine how much utility companies pay for power plant owners to ensure enough electricity is available. Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 11 May 2026 Because the field of exoplanet research is so new, there are not yet enough categories to adequately describe the diversity of these bodies. K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 11 May 2026
Noun
Seth Lugo struggles early The Royals did enough through nine innings to take starter Seth Lugo off the hook. Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026 Chile’s 2025 wildfire season exemplifies how government institutions at all levels, as well as companies and expert groups, failed to understand and do enough to reduce the risks posed by increasingly intense wildfires. Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for enough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enough
Adverb
  • The kitchen team is sufficiently confident in the quality and freshness of ingredients – either homegrown or sourced within a 25-mile radius.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2026
  • In addition, the AI Act requires providers to publish a sufficiently detailed summary of the data used for training.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 15 May 2026
Adverb
  • Sandburg’s Quinn Durkin actually developed a pretty good itinerary.
    Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
  • Making contact with the phone and sending it sailing through the air had to feel pretty good after her first kick attempt came up empty.
    Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2026
Adverb
  • According to the brothers, the home — despite appearing quite elegant, with its portico, white balustrade, five bedrooms, carved fireplaces and a music room — has long been in decay and would cost millions of dollars to restore.
    Eric Adler May 12, Kansas City Star, 12 May 2026
  • Church-goers who aren't quite ready for lunch food will love this delicious brunch dish.
    Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 12 May 2026
Adjective
  • Under sufficient pressure and with use of dark patterns, adversarial creativity or multi-turn manipulation, statistical preferences can erode or even fail.
    Sandeep Shilawat, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
  • Their report found that some ICE detention centers had seen increases in medical staff in 2025 compared to previous years, while other facilities struggled with drastic understaffing and had routinely failed to provide sufficient care.
    Rob Kuznia, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
Noun
  • Some have raised concerns about the cleanup’s sufficiency.
    Michelle de la Uz, New York Daily News, 13 May 2026
  • To issue an Amber Alert, law enforcement must determine that specific statutory conditions are met, including the age of the child, law enforcement’s belief in imminent danger of serious injury or death, and the sufficiency of existing information to assist in recovery.
    Itay Ravid, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026
Adverb
  • The potential costs of not preparing adequately are eye-watering.
    Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 17 May 2026
  • The rule, then, is that when existing law adequately addresses the harm, the appropriate instrument is interpretive guidance from the relevant agency.
    Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 15 May 2026
Adverb
  • While the first debate, hosted by Nexstar on April 22, was relatively calm, the subsequent three debates were more chaotic, often serving as an opportunity for candidates to lob accusations at one another.
    James Ward, USA Today, 15 May 2026
  • These relatively limited records from New Netherland consist mostly of what others said about them.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
Adverb
  • Directed by Johan Candert, Ocean Dreams features underwater cinematography that fully immerses audiences in the ocean world.
    Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 15 May 2026
  • The result is a fiery and impassioned offering that finds the veteran fully engaged and intent on proving no chinks have been left in his armor despite his tenuous back-and-forth with his Compton counterpart.
    Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 15 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Enough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enough. Accessed 19 May. 2026.

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