: occurring in such quantity, quality, or scope as to fully meet demands, needs, or expectations
enough food for everyone
1
: in or to a degree or quantity that satisfies or that is sufficient or necessary for satisfaction : sufficiently
3
: in a tolerable degree
she sang well enough
: a sufficient number, quantity, or amount
enough were present to constitute a quorum
had enough of their foolishness
—often used interjectionally
Synonyms
Examples of enough in a Sentence
Adjective
Have you got enough money?
That's enough talk for now; let's get started.
There's enough food for everyone.
Adverb
I couldn't run fast enough to catch up with her.
She's old enough to know better.
Are you rich enough to retire?
That's good enough for me.
Oddly enough, they've never actually met.
As if the crowds aren't bad enough, the parking situation is terrible.
We can do it if they help enough.
Pronoun
Have you had enough to eat?
He hasn't had much Spanish, but he knows enough to get by.
The crowds are enough of a problem as it is, without having to worry about parking as well!
It's enough to drive you crazy!
Recent Examples on the Web
Sydney Lake, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
Chen says there’s a balance between needing a strong enough current that induces phosphenes but doesn’t cause unwanted side effects.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 15 Apr. 2024
Conversely, people with little in the way of savings might not have enough money to purchase an annuity, Morningstar noted.
—The Arizona Republic, 14 Apr. 2024
For many people, though, working into their golden years simply comes down to lacking enough money to stop working and keep a roof over their heads.
—Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024
According to his campaign, Kennedy has enough signatures to appear on the ballot in Utah, Idaho, Hawaii, Nebraska and New Hampshire, as well as the battleground states of Nevada and North Carolina.
—Brianne Pfannenstiel, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024
The Dodgers and San Diego Padres weathered a 2-hour, 15-minute rain delay before beginning Saturday night’s game in Chavez Ravine under drizzly skies, 48-degree temperatures and just enough of a breeze to further chill the bones, hardly ideal conditions for a baseball game.
—Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024
The stylish wrap will naturally elevate any outfit while traveling during the spring months — not to mention keep you warm — while a hidden zippered pocket within the folds of the scarf gives enough space to safely tuck your wallet and phone without ever being detected by other travelers.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2024
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also warmly greeted the couple's daughter, Alba, with hugs, and Meghan was seen affectionately walking with her arm around her.
Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage?
—Erin Hill, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
Max Filby, The Enquirer, 5 Apr. 2024
For example, 49% of men say that America hasn’t gone far enough in giving women equal rights with men, and the majority of White Americans (60%) support Black Lives Matter.
—Preeti Vani, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
If that wasn’t bad enough, the Israeli strike on the World Central Kitchen convoy that killed seven aid workers has led the WCF—one of the groups Israel was looking to fill the vacuum—to pause their services.
—Mairav Zonszein, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
Although it’s designed for the Meta’s Quest headset, the story and scope seem wide enough to exist out of the headset.
—William Earl, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
Other highlights include a home office, a wine cellar, and a game room large enough to accommodate a pool table.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2024
Chipmakers and governments, including the US government, have in recent years invested billions in efforts to diversify chip production, but many experts worry that process is not happening fast enough.
—Clare Duffy, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
Calm winds and clear skies still allow lows to reach the mid- to upper 30s (lower 40s downtown) Confidence: Medium-High
Clouds from a weekend storm out in the Plains approach the area on Monday but should be broken enough to give us a partly sunny day.
—David Streit, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
Statistics also show that 30% of children who start therapies early enough no longer meet the criteria for autism diagnosis later in childhood.
—Georgann Yara, The Arizona Republic, 4 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Other properties owned by Bill Gates While the Medina mansion may seem like enough, Gates owns several other luxury properties across the U.S.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
Chen says there’s a balance between needing a strong enough current that induces phosphenes but doesn’t cause unwanted side effects.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 15 Apr. 2024
Conversely, people with little in the way of savings might not have enough money to purchase an annuity, Morningstar noted.
—The Arizona Republic, 14 Apr. 2024
For many people, though, working into their golden years simply comes down to lacking enough money to stop working and keep a roof over their heads.
—Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024
According to his campaign, Kennedy has enough signatures to appear on the ballot in Utah, Idaho, Hawaii, Nebraska and New Hampshire, as well as the battleground states of Nevada and North Carolina.
—Brianne Pfannenstiel, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024
The Dodgers and San Diego Padres weathered a 2-hour, 15-minute rain delay before beginning Saturday night’s game in Chavez Ravine under drizzly skies, 48-degree temperatures and just enough of a breeze to further chill the bones, hardly ideal conditions for a baseball game.
—Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024
The stylish wrap will naturally elevate any outfit while traveling during the spring months — not to mention keep you warm — while a hidden zippered pocket within the folds of the scarf gives enough space to safely tuck your wallet and phone without ever being detected by other travelers.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2024
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also warmly greeted the couple's daughter, Alba, with hugs, and Meghan was seen affectionately walking with her arm around her.
Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage?
—Erin Hill, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
Adverb
The trial found that spikes did not cause tires to deflate fast enough to prevent cars from entering highways in the wrong direction.
—Max Filby, The Enquirer, 5 Apr. 2024
For example, 49% of men say that America hasn’t gone far enough in giving women equal rights with men, and the majority of White Americans (60%) support Black Lives Matter.
—Preeti Vani, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
If that wasn’t bad enough, the Israeli strike on the World Central Kitchen convoy that killed seven aid workers has led the WCF—one of the groups Israel was looking to fill the vacuum—to pause their services.
—Mairav Zonszein, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
Although it’s designed for the Meta’s Quest headset, the story and scope seem wide enough to exist out of the headset.
—William Earl, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
Other highlights include a home office, a wine cellar, and a game room large enough to accommodate a pool table.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2024
Chipmakers and governments, including the US government, have in recent years invested billions in efforts to diversify chip production, but many experts worry that process is not happening fast enough.
—Clare Duffy, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
Calm winds and clear skies still allow lows to reach the mid- to upper 30s (lower 40s downtown) Confidence: Medium-High
Clouds from a weekend storm out in the Plains approach the area on Monday but should be broken enough to give us a partly sunny day.
—David Streit, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
Statistics also show that 30% of children who start therapies early enough no longer meet the criteria for autism diagnosis later in childhood.
—Georgann Yara, The Arizona Republic, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'enough.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English ynough, from Old English genōg (akin to Old High German ginuog enough), from ge- (perfective prefix) + -nōg; akin to Latin nancisci to get, Greek enenkein to carry — more at co-
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Adverb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Pronoun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of enough was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing enough
Articles Related to enough
Dictionary Entries Near enough
Cite this Entry
“Enough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enough. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
enough
1 of 3 adjective
: equal to the demands or needs : sufficient
enough
2 of 3 adverb1
: in or to a sufficient amount or degree : sufficiently
ran fast enough
2
: fully sense 1, quite
qualified enough for the job
3
: so as to be moderately good : tolerably
sang well enough
enough
3 of 3 noun
: a sufficient quantity
enough to meet our needs
More from Merriam-Webster on enough
Nglish: Translation of enough for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of enough for Arabic Speakers
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