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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
The best pieces are intentionally transitional—cozy enough to wear now, yet breathable and versatile enough to carry you straight into spring. Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2026 Assets exceed liabilities but these assets cannot be converted into cash rapidly enough to satisfy withdrawals of deposits. Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
David Kessler says that's not enough. Sarah Koch, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026 Lee didn’t make any extra statement, but his outfit was enough of a message. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Noun
Simsbury’s zoning commission concluded the plan didn’t do enough for Simsbury, wasn’t designed on an appropriate scale, and carried too many potential liabilities for existing residents. Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 10 Feb. 2026 But others, including parents, criticized Cherry Creek Schools leaders for not doing enough to address the culture in the district. Jessica Seaman, Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for enough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enough
Adverb
  • Cote found that the $10 million suit accusing the Adams administration of operating like the mob failed to sufficiently allege violations of federal law and meet other legal requirements.
    Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Some board members who voted no said the district had not sufficiently demonstrated that broad layoff notices were the most responsible or strategic option and argued that the analysis did not fully account for the operational and human consequences of issuing RIF notices at that scale.
    Teresa Liu, Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
Adverb
  • At least those visual mannerisms and tropes are pretty much universal, baked into the DNA of TV casting-and-talent shows worldwide.
    Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
  • In pretty good shape for his age, rode his bike everywhere around New York.
    Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
Adverb
  • Gradual warming across Maryland through Thursday Early morning temperatures stayed safely above freezing in and around the Baltimore Beltway, but fog continues to be quite problematic.
    Steven Sosna, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
  • The circumstances were quite different in 2016, though, as William and Kate were happy and in love; Diana, though on a visit to India with her then-husband Prince Charles, poignantly visited the monument to love solo.
    Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • However, depending on the size, a home washing machine may not provide sufficient agitation.
    Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Even wetter years that temporarily flood the landscape no longer appear sufficient to reverse the long-term downward trend seen from space, according to the scientists.
    Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The City Clerk is still required to review the petition and determine the sufficiency of the petition, as is dictated by Wisconsin statutes, the city wrote in its post.
    Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 16 Feb. 2026
  • But the designer explained in his letter that the seasonal campaign is more focused on the theme of dependency and the support of a community, dismissing self sufficiency.
    Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 10 Feb. 2026
Adverb
  • In fact, what materialism can’t adequately capture is experience itself.
    Christopher Beha, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
  • Districts with high areas of poverty and significant numbers of special needs students are not adequately funded.
    Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
Adverb
  • That’s why the Fed’s minutes are being interpreted by many this morning as being relatively hawkish—meaning that the Federal Open Market Committee is less enthusiastic about cutting interest rates further.
    Jim Edwards, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
  • That’s true even when key elements of that history are relatively unknown, like that of Georgia’s blueswomen.
    DeAsia Paige, AJC.com, 19 Feb. 2026
Adverb
  • Service The Thompson was clearly fully staffed upon opening and there never looked to be a wait at the front desk or concierge.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2026
  • The crew might also spy distinct flashes of light as space rocks strike the moon — or dust floating above the edge of the moon, a mysterious phenomenon scientists have yet to understand fully.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Enough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enough. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.

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