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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
Splitting stages to different processors means handing off data between processors on every request fast enough that users never notice. Ido Susan, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026 This system worked well enough for decades, especially because the highway network was sufficient for the demand. Aylin Yener, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2026
Adjective
Slapped with a fresh round of taxes, the underclass has had enough. Michael Phillips, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026 In real terms, that means shorter exposure times to pull a clean image out of a faint galaxy or nebula and fewer hours standing in the cold waiting for enough photons to hit the sensor. New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2026
Noun
Perhaps the threat wasn’t quite so dire, or its parameters were not well-enough defined, and the Secret Service acted out of a superabundance of caution. Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2026 Three of the associations - including the largest, the Dallas Police Association - believe the city is not doing enough to improve pay. Briseida Holguin, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for enough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enough
Adverb
  • Empa's earlier experiments showed that formulations with sufficiently high phosphorus content could be reprocessed after curing, with the dynamic network rearranging through transesterification reactions.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The commissioner formally apologized to players in 2024 for not sufficiently condemning, during an appearance on CNBC, hate speech around the league.
    Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Adverb
  • If the premise is that for the Commanders to excel, Daniels needs to excel — and that’s a pretty foolproof premise — then Blough’s ability to keep his quarterback out of danger and maximize his extraordinary abilities is paramount.
    Barry Svrluga, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Aside from both being models, the mother-daughter duo share some pretty significant style overlap.
    Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 8 Sep. 2026
Adverb
  • If your lawn grass was already quite thin, topdressing with a thin layer of quality topsoil is recommended.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Sep. 2026
  • As a shocking chart by the Wall Street Journal illustrates, the amount of capital spent on non-data center construction in the US has quite literally fallen off a cliff, while the capital deployed to build data centers soars into the stratosphere.
    Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 3 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Lawmakers then allocated funding for one additional staff member, which McCarthy Vahey acknowledged may not be sufficient.
    Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The mechanism itself is fundamentally blocked by recoil, quantum statistics, and the lack of sufficient collective coupling.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 6 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
  • The episode went viral and prompted debate about the growing presence of content creators at sporting events — and whether newcomers are being adequately schooled in tennis’ distinct etiquette.
    Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The lawsuit argues that Lyft needs as many drivers as possible to increase profits and failed to adequately screen applicants.
    Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 5 Sep. 2026
Adverb
  • On closer-range shots, Brughmans often adopts a wide base with his chest slightly forward and his arms relatively low.
    Matt Pyzdrowski, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Nuclear power, where viable, can offer another source of relatively stable generation costs.
    Nana Menya Ayensu, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Adverb
  • By the end of that first part, Russia had invaded Ukraine, TV Rain had been fully banned, and all of Loktev’s subjects had finally left their country.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Highly reflective blinds can reduce it by around 45% when fully closed.
    Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Enough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enough. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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