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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 discrepancy between wish fulfilment and truth-seeking is simple enough to grasp when there’s a binary question, such as whether Odysseus is alive or dead. Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 21 July 2026 Having the Ring devices in place feels like a much smarter and safer solution, and is easy enough to set up for even the most type B travelers to handle. Bridget Mills-Powell, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 July 2026
Adjective
Five-hundred and fifty-seven percent profit was not enough for traders, who were expecting more! Jim Edwards, Fortune, 29 July 2026 There’s more than enough music right now about the trials of making music right now. Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 29 July 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
  • But new and ongoing research suggests that scientists should start considering signs of intelligence that are not necessarily technological, but which are sufficiently complex as to be evidence of a conscious mind at work.
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 27 July 2026
  • Current championship leader Kimi Antonelli has also been penalized with a three-place grid penalty for not slowing sufficiently for the yellow flags triggered by Verstappen’s spin at the final corner.
    Yara Elshebiny, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Adverb
  • Kyril is a hands-on, pretty inspirational owner who has a really clear vision for where this football club is going.
    Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • As far as summer jobs go, helping to maintain the Oakland Cemetery is a pretty cool one, even in this heat.
    Cassidy Alexander, AJC.com, 21 July 2026
Adverb
  • There are few travel wins quite as satisfying as booking a flight for less than dinner out—and Frontier has built a loyal following around exactly that.
    Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 July 2026
  • Standing on opposite sides of the protests, the pair fall for each other despite the divide, recognizing in one another a restlessness neither can quite name.
    Leo Barraclough, Variety, 23 July 2026
Adjective
  • Its finding rested on Paramount’s anticipated 27% share of wide-release theatrical distribution and the concentration the merger would produce, which the court held sufficient to presume a likely violation.
    Maureen Kerr, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • The crisis is that a narrow victory may not be sufficient to dislodge Trumpism, which is now deeply entrenched in government.
    Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 26 July 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
  • Both lawsuits argue that the government didn’t adequately establish its case against each specific economy or spell how the tariffs will eliminate the specified practice they are being levied for, as required by Section 301.
    Mae Anderson, Fortune, 27 July 2026
  • Trump has repeatedly raised concerns about election integrity in recent weeks and months as November’s midterm elections approach, alleging that federal elections are not adequately secure.
    Carter Schroppe, The Washington Examiner, 25 July 2026
Adverb
  • While rupee has remained under pressure this year and is not an AI play, Goldman said that recent measures by the Reserve Bank of India to attract foreign capital and relatively lower oil prices, should help support the currency.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 27 July 2026
  • Despite a relatively long history of drive-through bans, the idea is still novel and perplexing to Californians who love their burgers and love their cars.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
Adverb
  • Hence, the dissolution of Andriy and Bobby, the Ukrainian and Russian duo who already glommed on to each other in the first two episodes of this season of Project Runway and in this episode collapse fully and phenomenally.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 July 2026
  • The Saudis can reroute that oil north through the Suez Canal, but the largest, fully laden oil tankers can’t get through that way because of depth constraints, noted Natasha Kaneva, head of global commodities strategy at JPMorgan.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 24 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Enough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enough. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

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