ENOUGH Synonyms: 243 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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?

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

enough 1 of 3

adverb

Definition of enough

as in sufficiently

in or to a degree or quantity that meets one's requirements or satisfaction the elevator is big enough to hold everyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in pretty

to some degree or extent I can play the piano well enough, but I have no hope for a musical career

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in quite

to a full extent or degree I think we're prepared enough—we just lack the will to actually do it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

enough

2 of 3

adjective

as in sufficient

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

enough

3 of 3

noun

as in sufficiency

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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

Still, a bullish case for Alphabet rests not in its post-earnings concerns being unfounded, but rather on its growth being strong enough to withstand them. — Julia Spina, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2026 On the whole, these criticisms weren’t enough to spoil a flawed but ambitious saga. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 Nov. 2026

Adjective

Physical readiness is just as important as mental preparation, and Kubiak was confident the young quarterback had done enough work to be ready. — Chantz Martin Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Nov. 2026 Combined, the 508 ballots remaining could be enough to close the 497-vote gap between Giudici and Clapp. — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 11 Nov. 2026

Noun

Trump has repeatedly said Mexico isn’t doing enough against the cartels. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026 Related Additionally, the states accuse OpenAI of collecting data from minors and not doing enough to keep underage users from using the chatbot. — Emma Roth, The Verge, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for enough

Recent Examples of Synonyms for enough

Adverb

The department also filed a motion in support of a separate lawsuit filed in May that argues California violates national voting laws by failing to sufficiently remove ineligible voters from its rolls.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
The challenge is recognizing when the circumstances have changed sufficiently that both parties might benefit from a different arrangement.

— Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of sufficiently

Adverb

Tomo plans to deliver its first customer trucks in the 2027 calendar year, which seems pretty ambitious given that the truck the company is showing now is only a prototype.

— Stephen Edelstein, The Drive, 8 Nov. 2026
If your linen closet could use a little TLC, Brooklinen's Last Call sale is giving you a pretty good excuse to stock up, with select bedding marked down as much as 75%.

— Jacorey Moon, Architectural Digest, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of pretty

Adverb

That lack of definition extends to the sound of the record, which transforms hyperactively from track to track, echoing the sounds of many other artists without ever quite establishing a distinct profile.

— Aimee Cliff, Pitchfork, 11 Nov. 2026
At lunchtime and in the evenings, its covered gravel patio with 13 tables draws a full crowd of parents with young kids and a few older folks, most of whom Donner has gotten to know quite well.

— Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of quite

Adjective

Global hyperscalers are seeking Asian markets with sufficient land, electricity and grid capacity, Leenart said.

— Jenny Lee, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026
According to iGarden, the K70 can operate for up to seven hours in floor-only cleaning mode, giving it sufficient runtime to tackle substantial cleaning tasks without interruption.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of sufficient

Noun

Eco effort Water sufficiency—including water recycling for irrigation in their treatment plant—in a notoriously dry part of the island is a notable part of the resort’s sustainability efforts.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of sufficiency

Adverb

The steps and skills required to adequately shop for groceries or pick out the right kindergarten for a child are broad and vague.

— Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026
Zimmern questioned whether the results adequately reflected differences among salmon producers worldwide.

— Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of adequately

Adverb

But despite a steep underperformance of Indian indexes over the last year — even for this year so far the key benchmarks are in the red — and the improvement in earnings growth, its valuations are still relatively higher than other emerging markets.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026
The goal at the time was to attract investments in what was seen as relatively low-risk, high reward technology infrastructure that would generate jobs and tax revenue.

— Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of relatively

Adverb

Accessibility for those with mobility impairments There is wheelchair access in all of the public areas, including the spa and swimming pools, as well as two fully accessible rooms located in Building 2 (the central Bauhaus building).

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
Plus, people hosting small gatherings and those who don’t want to tackle a whole turkey can select smaller turkey breasts, or even fully prepared birds that just need to be warmed up.

— Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of fully

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“Enough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enough. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of enough

adverb

adjective

noun

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Synonyms of enough

adverb

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noun

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