enough 1 of 3

adverb

Definition of enoughnext
1
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
3
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

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
For entertaining, consider this set with a sofa, two chairs, and a coffee table large enough for serving small dishes and drinks. —Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026 Your regular-season effort isn’t going to be good enough in the conference tournament. —Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Cats don’t always drink enough water, and dry foods can exacerbate this. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 27 Apr. 2026 Caterers would have more than enough space to stage food while going in and out of the house. —Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
In a letter to IDOT, the feds said the agency has failed to do enough to protect passengers and transit workers. —Tara Molina, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026 Apple privately threatened to remove Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence app, Grok, from its App Store in January after Musk’s xAI failed to do enough to stop it from creating nude or sexualized deepfakes, Apple told senators in a letter that was obtained by NBC News. —David Ingram, NBC news, 14 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for enough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enough
  1. sufficiently
  2. pretty
  3. quite
  4. sufficient
  5. sufficiency
  6. adequately
  7. relatively
  8. fully
Adverb
  • This suggested the possibility of heating foods sufficiently to kill germs without significantly altering their chemical composition.
    — Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
  • When the San Francisco Chronicle published its investigation, Swalwell’s campaign collapsed within 48 hours, indicating that the evidence was sufficiently substantial to immediately persuade political allies, campaign chairs, and fellow Democrats to withdraw their support.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of sufficiently
Adverb
  • So again, a pretty serious album there.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
  • That’s pretty great to know that your school has produced some pretty cool athletes like that.
    — Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
Definition of pretty
Adverb
  • However, the day did not go quite according to plan for Dale Coyne Racing's Romain Grosjean, and that was all thanks to an unfortunate run-in — in the most literal sense imaginable — with a bird.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
  • General Daily Insight for April 29, 2026 Tension shows up today when timing, tone, or expectations don’t quite match.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
Definition of quite
Adjective
  • According to the Environmental Protection Agency, many homes can support a Level 2 charger with 200-amp service and two open double-pole breaker slots, while 100-amp service may also be sufficient depending on total household load.
    — McKynzie Steward, AJC.com, 1 May 2026
  • The former property managers were not always prompt in producing the records needed for the audit, leaving auditors unable to obtain sufficient evidence to form an opinion on the financial statements.
    — R.A. Schuetz, Houston Chronicle, 1 May 2026
Definition of sufficient
Noun
  • To issue an Amber Alert, law enforcement must determine that specific statutory conditions are met, including the age of the child, law enforcement’s belief in imminent danger of serious injury or death, and the sufficiency of existing information to assist in recovery.
    — Itay Ravid, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026
  • The sufficiency of disapproval to derail Trump’s primary immigration enforcement serves as further damning evidence against the companies and entities that so easily and so quickly capitulated to Trump last year.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
Definition of sufficiency
Adverb
  • But few states even try to adequately estimate the gap, according to Goodman.
    — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators also found the company did not adequately train its employees to recognize fall hazards and did not use a hazard communication program for employees using hazardous chemicals, the news release said.
    — Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
Definition of adequately
Adverb
  • This realization, Parker begins to explain, is a relatively recent one.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Switzerland has a relatively weak fertility rate, with natural growth (births minus deaths) at around 6,000 in 2024.
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 30 Apr. 2026
Definition of relatively
Adverb
  • The music joins the casting and a too-scary third act as the only elements of this movie that don’t fully embrace its bar-lowering lack of ambition — the only elements that don’t feel pilfered from pre-existing classics.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 1 May 2026
  • His brain must have its own glam squad, because his mind is fully made up.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Definition of fully

Browse Nearby Words

enormousness
enough
enounce
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Cite this Entry

“Enough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enough. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on enough

Nglish: Translation of enough for Spanish Speakers

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