enough

[ih-nuhf]

adjective

1. adequate for the want or need; sufficient for the purpose or to satisfy desire.

   enough water;

   noise enough to wake the dead.

   Synonyms: ample

pronoun

1. an adequate quantity or number; sufficiency.

adverb

1. in a quantity or degree that answers a purpose or satisfies a need or desire; sufficiently.

   Synonyms: reasonably, amply, adequately

2. fully or quite.

   ready enough.

interjection

1. (used to express impatience or exasperation).

   Enough! I heard you the first time.

enough

/ ɪˈnʌf /

determiner

1. 1. sufficient to answer a need, demand, supposition, or requirement; adequate

      enough cake

   2. ( as pronoun )

      enough is now known

2. that will do: used to put an end to an action, speech, performance, etc

adverb

1. so as to be adequate or sufficient; as much as necessary

   you have worked hard enough

2. (not used with a negative) very or quite; rather

   she was pleased enough to see me

3. (intensifier)

   oddly enough

   surprisingly enough

4. just adequately; tolerably

   he did it well enough

Word History and Origins

Origin of enough¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English enogh, Old English genōh; cognate with German genug, Gothic ganohs, Old Norse nōgr; akin to Old English geneah “it suffices,” Sanskrit naśati “(he) reaches”

Word History and Origins

Origin of enough¹

Old English genōh; related to Old Norse gnōgr, Gothic ganōhs, Old High German ginuog

Idioms and Phrases

• (enough) to wake the dead
• fair enough
• had enough
• leave well enough alone
• not enough room to swing a cat
• sure enough

Example Sentences

"The world is shrewd enough to know the difference between following the letter of the law and using the law as a tool of influence," he wrote.

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But to take advantage of this endless buffet, wildlife must strike a delicate balance: bold enough to root through bins and navigate human environments, yet not so bold as to pose a threat.

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Some women who feel the government is not doing enough have taken matters into their own hands.

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Questions have also been raised as to whether the fines for infringement are big enough.

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Matthew Hobbs, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK, said current diagnostics methods don't find enough aggressive cancers, and cause too much harm.

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Related Words

• abundant 
• adequate 
• ample 
• full 
• sufficient 
• suitable 

When To Use

What is a basic definition of enough?

Enough is an adjective that describes something that is adequate for an intended purpose. Enough is also used as an adverb to mean sufficiently or fully. Enough also has senses as a pronoun and an interjection.Enough describes something as being adequate or sufficient. If you have enough of something, you have at least met the minimum requirement.

• Real-life examples: If you have enough money to buy food, you won’t run out of money when you purchase it, though you might not have a lot of money left afterwards. If you have enough points to pass a test, you won’t fail the test but you won’t get an A, either.



• Used in a sentence: We had 15 people show up, enough to form our basketball team.

As an adverb, enough means in a degree that is satisfactory. This sense is often used in the negative to mean something failed to meet expectations or was insufficient.

• Real-life examples: If your boss doesn’t think you work hard enough, they may fire you. If you practice the violin enough, you may become better at playing it.



• Used in a sentence: The door was just wide enough to fit the couch through it. 

Enough is also used to mean fully, quite, or plenty. This sense is used to describe a situation where something has met the maximum requirement and anything more is unnecessary. This sense is not used in the negative.

• Real-life examples: If you can pay all your bills and go on vacation, you can say you earn enough. You know you’ve studied enough when you can answer all the practice questions correctly.



• Used in a sentence: She decided the dog had eaten enough and took the food bowl away.