ENOUGH Synonyms: 244 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 next

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

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enough

2 of 3

adjective

as in sufficient

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

enough

3 of 3

noun

as in sufficiency

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

But the script isn't family-friendly enough, and the adaptation hews too closely to the original without spawning something notable and new. —

Brian Smolensky and James Mercadante, EW.com, 27 Jan. 2025 Mira shoulder bag with quilting: on sale for $315 Original price: $450 A beautiful, spacious bag, the Mira shoulder bag is large enough to be an everyday bag, but small enough to look stylish with any business or dress attire. —

Christopher Murray, Fox News, 27 Jan. 2025

Adjective

Immediately surrounding the beach are just a few tiny cottages and vacation rentals and only enough places to eat and drink to count on one hand. —

Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 26 Jan. 2025 Now that would be plenty of story for most TV shows to chew on, but not enough for this one, apparently: The pilot ends with an absolute gob-smacker of a twist that both narrows the playing field and opens up intriguing new storytelling lanes. —

Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 26 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for enough

Recent Examples of Synonyms for enough

Adverb

The portion is pretty good for $12 and can easily be shared with a friend or two.

— Kaitlyn Rosati, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2025
So is the Parisian apartment, so is Paris itself, so is pretty much everything else.

— Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 22 Jan. 2025