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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
This take-out staple is easy enough to recreate at home and fantastic for family dinners. — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 As if that weren’t enough, both Russia and China have imposed export restrictions. — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
Adjective
This was more common in decades past, but some launches today still do not reserve enough propellant to properly deorbit a second or third stage. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026 Boilermakers can score, but not enough to offset what their defense gives up. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
Noun
The public narrative around Lindsay Clancy has focused on systemic failures—blaming the mental health system for not doing enough. — Dr. Susan Hatters Friedman, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026 Right now, the Bears may suddenly have five guys competing for the same job — with the season opener closing in and no one doing enough to seize the starting role. — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for enough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enough
Adverb
  • It has been said that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
    — Dan Michel, Robb Report, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Prominent among the worry warts is King Charles III of the United Kingdom, who felt the issue was sufficiently urgent to summon senior leaders of the fledgling AI industry to a summit at a Scottish castle.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Adverb
  • On Saturday night, her husband made that advice look pretty good.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • This year’s release, the Golden Pharaoh, might sound pretty strange on paper, but the result is a rye whiskey that actually doesn’t stray too far from its core identity—and that’s a very good thing.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 20 Sep. 2026
Adverb
  • Some of the guests on board had upcoming bookings for the top-of-the-line (and priced like it) ship, though many remained quite fond of our Le Lyrial.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • So anyway, my artistic trajectory was going along quite nicely in Joy Division.
    — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Critics also questioned whether the bill provided sufficient safeguards against fraud, money laundering and market manipulation.
    — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
  • What remains to be seen is whether efforts will be sufficient to turn the tide and keep our children and population safe.
    — Sheldon H. Jacobson, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Rex Frazier, a former deputy commissioner at the California Department of Insurance, said that in the situation that the insurers find themselves, the state regulator will be looking at a company’s capital sufficiency.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Since then, the case has remained in the pleading stage, where the county has challenged the sufficiency of the claims without answering them, and the child’s attorneys have revised their complaint three times.
    — Bay City News, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2026
Adverb
  • African economies risk being left behind by an AI revolution built on data that does not adequately represent the continent, according to the Gates Foundation’s 2026 Goalkeepers report.
    — Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Remember that blankets need enough space in the washing machine drum to move freely and rinse adequately, so don’t add a throw to a heavy or already packed laundry load.
    — Sheila Kim, The Spruce, 18 Sep. 2026
Adverb
  • The controversy Pitt stepped into comes down to old versus relatively new approaches to dealing with drinking problems.
    — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
  • But clear weather and relatively light winds aided air tankers, which dropped water on hot spots throughout Thursday, while hand crews and bulldozers strengthened fire lines around the fire.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Adverb
  • Yes, with fully accessible guest rooms, roll-in showers, and pool lifts (more details on their Accessibility Page).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026
  • One passenger was fully ejected from the bus and another was partially ejected, police said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Enough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enough. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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