enough

determiner, pronoun, adverb determiner used before plural or uncountable nouns to mean 'as many or as much as sb needs or wants' SYNSUFFICIENT: Have you made enough copies? * Is there enough room for me? * I didn't have enough clothes to last a week. * Don't ask me to do it. I've got enough problems as it is. * (old-fashioned) There was food enough for all. HELPNOTE Although enough after a noun now sounds old-fashioned, time enough is still fairly common: There'll be time enough to relax when you've finished your work. pronoun as many or as much as sb needs or wants: Six bottles should be enough. * Have you had enough (= to eat)? * If enough of you are interested, we'll organize a trip to the theatre. * There was nowhere near enough for everybody. * We've nearly run out of paper. Do you think there's enough for today? IDIOMS enough is enough (saying) used when you think that sth should not continue any longer enough said used to say that you understand a situation and there is no need to say any more: 'He's a politician, remember.' 'Enough said.' have had enough (of sth/sb) used when sth/sb is annoying you and you no longer want to do, have or see it or them: I've had enough of driving the kids around. adverb (used after verbs, adjectives and adverbs) 1 to the necessary degree: I hadn't trained enough for the game. * This house isn't big enough for us. * She's old enough to decide for herself. * We didn't leave early enough. * Tell them it's just not good enough. 2 to a satisfactory degree, but not to a very great degree: He seemed pleasant enough to me. 3 to a degree that you do not wish to get any greater: I hope my job's safe. Life is hard enough as it is. IDIOMS curiously, funnily, oddly, strangely, etc. enough used to show that sth is surprising: Funnily enough, I said the same thing myself only yesterday. moreatFARadv., FAIRadj., LIKEadv., MANn., NEARadv., RIGHTadj., SUREadv. ______________________________ WHICHWORD? enough / adequate / sufficient / satisfactory / acceptable / will do Enough is the usual word that you use to say that you have as much as you need of something: Five copies should be enough. * Do you have enough money? * We haven't got enough time. Adequate and sufficient have the same meaning but are very formal. In informal English you can use will do: Can you lend me some money? Ten pounds will do. If you are talking about the quality of something, you can say that it is good enough: Is the light good enough to take photos? In formal language you can also say that it is adequate, satisfactory or acceptable. These words on their own may suggest that something is only just good enough and could be better. Compare: This piece of work is satisfactory and This piece of work is very satisfactory. In informal English you can use will do, but it can also mean 'only just': Will this do? * It isn't very good but it'll do. ______________________________