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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
And there has to be housing in general—Helsinki has built enough housing in the past 10 years to keep rental prices from rocketing like in many European capitals. Kristen Edgreen Kaufman, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025 Though the performance was more dance than music, Doja Cat provided enough visual catnip with the former to almost forget about the song. Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Nussmeier is a good-enough athlete when he is flushed to extend plays, work off platform and pick up yards with his legs. Dane Brugler, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025 On her campaign website, Chen argues that the city is not doing enough to manage growing operational costs and instead raises property taxes at an unsustainable rate. Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 16 Aug. 2025
Noun
To make for a more energy efficient and less nerve-racking exodus experience, once the line grows large enough, pulsing begins, wherein vehicles move in packs rather than lurch along at 5 mph. Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025 Plus, it’s designed to be weather-resistant enough to hold up in light rain or wind. Izzy Baskette, People.com, 14 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for enough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enough
Adverb
  • Clothing must not feature offensive language, obscene gestures/graphics, or nudity or clothing that does not sufficiently cover undergarments.
    Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • More to the point, the average deliveries for Sunday night’s head-spinning Ravens-Bills game should be sufficiently massive to overshadow the results from the Cowboys-Eagles showdown.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Adverb
  • Best Amazon Home Deals There are so many great finds in the general home category, like this pretty faux bouquet that’s perfect for fall and this dimmable candle warmer that features a timer.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2025
  • And there will be a pretty sweet view along with the Tuscan-style cuisine, too, with waterfront vistas stretching across the Bay from the full weatherized and heated patio.
    Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2025
Adverb
  • In short, The Paper doesn’t quite escape the shadow of its big brother, but that’s just fine with us.
    Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • But then Belly scraps her Parisian plans and pledges her young life to Jeremiah, a rising super senior at Finch majoring in getting high and going to Cabo (which, quite honestly, is more age-appropriate than a wedding).
    Vogue, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • However, just existing in the habitable zone of a star isn't sufficient to guarantee the existence of liquid-water oceans or indeed the conditions needed to support life.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • And while ultrasound techniques can modulate the activity of neurons by delivering gentle mechanical pulses that influence how cells send signals, current systems have struggled to reach deeper areas of the brain with sufficient precision—until now.
    Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • To determine the sufficiency of the evidence, the appellate judges identified the reasonable inferences that could be drawn from the circumstances proved.
    Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 19 Aug. 2025
  • Tsangari doles out information cagily, turning over narrative cards with calculated delay, a bare sufficiency that undercuts her world-building in favor of point-making; the just-enough story is also a just-so story.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2025
Adverb
  • Finally, profits should be adequately reinvested in the company with the goal to support cash generation in time.
    Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Beyond the considerable issue of adequately defending the potent Eagles offense, the Chiefs most obviously will seek to better protect Mahomes — who was sacked six times and pressured 16 times without the Eagles blitzing once.
    Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2025
Adverb
  • While the entertainment industry has changed significantly in the last decade in terms of how people find and watch content, including sports, Espinoza said that boxing is undergoing a parallel transition that has made other sports seem relatively stable by comparison.
    Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
  • But White Bear Lake’s defensive front held up relatively well for much of the night from there, keeping the Bears in the game.
    Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025
Adverb
  • Power is delivered through a 9-speed transmission and fully variable all-wheel drive system.
    Mark Ewing, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • After the fire is fully contained, the next step is to control it.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 13 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Enough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enough. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

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