enough 1 of 3

Definition of enoughnext
1
2
3

enough

2 of 3

adjective

enough

3 of 3

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
The barrel-leg silhouette feels current, while the elastic waistband keeps them comfortable enough for long days out exploring. Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026 After the smelter closed in 1997, the EPA estimated the plant and other factories had dumped 200,000 tons of lead dust — enough to fill at least 1,600 rail cars — across Omaha’s east side. Chris Bowling, ProPublica, 4 Aug. 2026
Adjective
Organizers for Living Wage for All submitted 51,275 signatures, of which county election officials verified 48,797, enough to qualify the measure for the ballot. Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026 Borrowers making qualifying monthly payments Making 120 payments isn't enough if those payments don't satisfy the program's requirements. Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Noun
The access fee itself has been widely criticized by activists, housing advocates and opposition politicians for not doing enough to ease crowding in the city, while reducing Venice to a tourist attraction by charging admission. ABC News, 3 July 2026 The most important metric is becoming intelligence per dollar, making Zhipu's cheap-but-good-enough model an attractive answer. Deirdre Bosa,jasmine Wu, CNBC, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for enough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enough
Adverb
  • Critics during the state’s legislative session framed the sales tax holiday as an election-year political move that would not sufficiently ease the burden of taxes on families in the longer term.
    Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The watchdog system identifies when an AI approaches situations that have not been sufficiently verified, allowing control to shift to backup systems.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 1 Aug. 2026
Adverb
  • Ward and Tate could build a great rapport in training camp and still have a pretty middling start because the rest of the roster just isn’t very good yet.
    Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Current satellite products reveal a pretty significant plume of Saharan dust throughout the basin.
    Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Adverb
  • Maybe that’s why replacing all my skinny jeans with wide-leg styles never quite solved my own denim dilemma.
    Alesandra Dubin, Glamour, 31 July 2026
  • His film is likable as heck but never quite achieves liftoff.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Adjective
  • Government reshuffle Ahead of the next winter period, Ukraine is strengthening the defense of its energy infrastructure and building up reserves to ensure sufficient supplies of heat and electricity.
    Sam Meredith, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026
  • In 1970, Milton Friedman’s ferocious political essay in the New York Times, and the agency-theorizing that followed provided sufficient intellectual justification.
    Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • This freedom includes the expression of health, harmony, sufficiency, and the ability to think and act rightly.
    Rob Nofsinger, Christian Science Monitor, 10 July 2026
  • Owners discovered that a small flock fits neatly into a suburban routine and pays back in eggs, entertainment and a sense of self-sufficiency.
    Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 30 June 2026
Adverb
  • Others parties to the case include the Institute for Race Relations, which argues the law does not adequately protect land owners' property rights and the Afrikaner lobby group AfriForum.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Staying adequately hydrated is absolutely essential to any successful travel day, and both T+L editors and Amazon shoppers approve of the Owala FreeSip Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle to assist in this endeavor.
    Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2026
Adverb
  • Muluk Spa is relatively compact with serene treatment rooms illuminated by flickering candle-like lights.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Though less volatile, median measures are relatively slow to respond to inflation shocks.
    David Zhang, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Adverb
  • Just across the sea lie North Korea, China and Russia, which all have powerful spying capacities that Japan isn’t fully equipped to fend off.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
  • China refused to participate in the arbitration and has not fully complied with the ruling, causing some commentators to dismiss the significance of the case.
    Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Enough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enough. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on enough

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster