What does "enough" mean?
An instance of being sufficient, or of doing something sufficiently.
Enough
/ɪˈnʌf/ adv, det, intj, noun, pron
adv, det, intj, noun, pron ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An instance of being sufficient, or of doing something sufficiently.
- Grammar: enough is listed as adv, det, intj, noun, pron.
- Nearest alternatives: abundance, abundantly, acceptably, adequacy.
- Useful contrasts: extra, too, continue.
- Usage evidence: I don't speak French well enough!
How to use "enough"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "enough" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "enough" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "enough" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "enough" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "enough" is acting as adv, det, intj, noun, pron in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abundance" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "enough", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An instance of being sufficient, or of doing something sufficiently. in-plural, rare
"And she was neither beautiful nor handsome, but just at the point halfway between which a girl of twenty-three reaches who inherits good features and healthful figure, and who has learned to dance well, ride well, study enough, golf enough, and has attained the thousand other "well and enoughs" which include talking well and listening enough, and allow a woman to be liked and loved with so little consciousness that she never suspects she is particularly liked at all."
- 2 an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose wordnet
Adjective
- 1 sufficient for the purpose wordnet
Adverb
- 1 Sufficiently.
"Those pears aren't ripe enough for the children to eat (them)."
- 2 Fully; quite; used after adjectives to express slight augmentation of the positive degree, and sometimes equivalent to very.
"He is ready enough to accept the offer."
- 3 Used after certain adverbs to emphasise that a quality is notable, unexpected, etc.
"Talking of Mr Smith, funnily enough, I saw him just the other day."
Adverb
- 1 as much as necessary wordnet
Determiner
- 1 Sufficient; all that is required, needed, or appropriate.; Used before a noun in the manner of words like some, a bit of, and so on.
"I've already had enough coffee today."
- 2 Sufficient; all that is required, needed, or appropriate.; Used after a noun. archaic
"There is food enough for us all."
Pronoun
- 1 A sufficient or adequate number, amount, etc.
"I have enough (of it) to keep me going."
Intj
- 1 Stop! Don't do that any more!
"I'm sick of you complaining! Enough!"
Antonyms
Example
"I don't speak French well enough!"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "enough"?
Common synonyms include: abundance, abundantly, acceptably, adequacy, adequacy, adequate.
How do you use "enough" in a sentence?
I don't speak French well enough!
How do you pronounce "enough"?
Pronounced /ɪˈnʌf/.
Etymology
From Middle English ynogh, from Old English ġenōg (“enough”), from Proto-Germanic *ganōgaz (“enough”) (compare Scots eneuch, West Frisian genôch, Dutch genoeg, German genug, Low German (ge)noog, Danish nok, Swedish nog, Icelandic nógur), from *ganuganą 'to suffice' (compare Old English ġeneah), or from *ga- + an unattested *nōgaz, probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eh₂nó(n)ḱe (“he has reached, attained”), perfective of *h₂neḱ- (“to reach”) (compare Old Irish tánaic (“he arrived”), Latin nancisci (“to get”), Albanian kënaq (“to please, satisfy”).).