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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
Not seeing enough of us on your Google searches and want more? Ray Padilla, The Courier-Journal, 29 Aug. 2025 While economic shifts were partly to blame for the mass layoffs that followed, hiring decisions made without enough strategic rigor were equally at fault. David Paffenholz, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
Rampling’s teatime spread, for one, is just beautiful enough that Krieps’ character has to snap a pic for the followers. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2025 Beyond that, travel pants must be versatile enough to re-wear with various tops throughout your trip. Talia Ergas, Travel + Leisure, 31 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for enough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enough
Adverb
  • But even if that doesn't end up being realistic, this is still a pretty neat bit of physics.
    Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 2025
  • But the Panthers’ defense looked pretty strong against the run.
    Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 14 Aug. 2025
Adverb
  • Tanner, who is quite religious, was doing the latter.
    Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Most of the utensils were pretty cheap, quite worn, and really should have been tossed a long time ago—including my black plastic spatula.
    Mark Marino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The tools then support the transition and how the company can ensure sufficient power for operation.
    James Morris, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
  • After sorting out the logistics of subletting my NYC apartment, tossing superfluous possessions in storage, and lining up sufficient freelance remote work, my administrative ducks were in a row.
    Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 29 Aug. 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
  • These need to be filed before the Patent Office to be assessed for both technical and legal sufficiency.
    Wen Xie, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Adverb
  • People who breathe in the mist can become ill if the water within the towers gets too warm, stagnant or isn't adequately cleaned.
    Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
  • On 57 occasions, the lane keeping or adaptive cruise control deactivated, and there were 43 instances of a test car failing to adequately slow down, of which 70 percent required the driver to hit the brakes.
    Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2025
Adverb
  • By forcing team members to attempt new ways of speaking with and relating to one another, a manager can break down and improve team cohesion relatively quickly.
    Rebecca Fraser-Thill, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
  • South Park also went relatively easy on George W. Bush (though Parker and Stone lampooned him in a separate series called That’s My Bush).
    Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025
Adverb
  • Still, the largest enterprise customers will likely take much longer to fully transition.
    Steve McDowell, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
  • After the fire is fully contained, the next step is to control it.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The Department of Homeland Security was planning to deport people apprehended on U.S. soil to third countries, often without adequate procedures or legal justifications.
    Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 20 Aug. 2025
  • Consequently, using traditional detect-and-respond reactive security tools is no longer an adequate defensive strategy.
    Will Townsend, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Enough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enough. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.

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