enough 1 of 3

Definition of enoughnext
1
2
3

enough

2 of 3

adjective

enough

3 of 3

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

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

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
Versatile enough for a variety of cooking applications, wooden spoons are a staple to have in the kitchen, and this set includes 10-, 12-, and 14-inch sizes perfect for stirring a big pot of soup, sautéing veggies, or mixing up cake batters. Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2026 It is designed to be concealed and small enough to be carried by a person. Scott Pelley, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
The iPhone 17 includes enough video capture tools to satisfy most casual users. Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 9 Mar. 2026 And while Republicans would be more likely to benefit than Democrats, the partisan gains from redistricting based on adult citizens may not be enough to change the balance of power in many state legislatures, a study suggests. Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 9 Mar. 2026
Noun
Some legislators and consumer advocates expressed lingering discontent that the legislation doesn't do enough to address short-term electric affordability. Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 18 Feb. 2026 About 26% of Americans say they’ve been disappointed by a partner not doing enough to celebrate the holiday, with women three times as likely as men to report that disappointment, according to YouGov. Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 14 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for enough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enough
Adverb
  • If the cosmic inflation that occurred prior to the Big Bang arose because certain high-energy conditions were met, then recreating those conditions and those sufficiently high energies could cause a restoration of the inflationary state.
    Big Think, Big Think, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Each one has an opening in the side, but the pockets themselves aren’t sufficiently gussetted.
    Corey Buhay, Outside, 3 Mar. 2026
Adverb
  • San Pedro Garza García neighborhood—plus some pretty stellar mountain views.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Mar. 2026
  • This Cavaliers team, built on the fly after Odom was hired in March 2025, has had but four bumps on the road this season, but one was a pretty big bump.
    Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
Adverb
  • Yet, too often, this category is flooded with forgettable songs by big name artists who squeak into eligibility because their music was quite literally a last-minute contribution for the end credits.
    Brian Welk, IndieWire, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Considering the general decline of pure album sales, short tracklist and a lead single that didn’t quite take over the world, The Romantic’s opening week total is nothing to scoff at.
    Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Stretching in the morning is sufficient to get your muscles moving and increase blood flow to them.
    Teresa Maalouf, Verywell Health, 13 Mar. 2026
  • With further enrichment, that would be sufficient to build several nuclear weapons.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • When reached for comment, the Midway Rising development team did not address the letter or the sufficiency of the project’s environmental analysis.
    Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
  • 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
Adverb
  • While state statute only allows for fines of $500 per violation per day, regulators didn’t feel a $500 or $1,000 fine adequately addressed the violation, Zach Hope, Division of Oil and Public Safety spokesperson, said Friday.
    Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Analysts say the government is not protecting citizens adequately as militants exploit the military’s difficulty controlling vast areas where extremist groups operate.
    Dyepkazah Shibayan, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Adverb
  • Fortunately, larger fuel sources like dense vegetation remain moist from heavy winter rains, and winds are predicted to be relatively light, conditions that together limit the danger of fast-spreading wildfires.
    Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Now the molecule was DMT, which causes an extremely intense but relatively short trip.
    Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Adverb
  • Any residual good will between the Pentagon and Anthropic soon fully deteriorated.
    Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
  • These strengths rely on a mind that is calm, adaptable and fully online, not one that is hijacked and overwhelmed by cognitive overload.
    Elan Gepner-Dales, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Enough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enough. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on enough

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster