enough

enough
enough c.1300, from O.E. genog, a common Germanic formation (Cf. O.S. ginog, O.Fris. enoch, Du. genoeg, O.H.G. ginuog, Ger. genug, O.N. gnogr, Goth. ganohs), from ge- "with, together" (also a participial, collective, intensive, or perfective prefix) + root -nah, from PIE *nek- "reach, attain" (Cf. Skt. asnoti "reaches," Hittite ninikzi "lifts, raises," Lith. neЕЎti "to bear, carry," L. nancisci "to obtain"). The most prominent among the surviving examples of O.E. ge-, the equivalent of L. com- and Mod.Ger. ge-, from PIE *kom- "beside, near, by, with" (see COM- (Cf. com-)). Meaning "moderately, fairly, tolerably" (good enough) was in M.E. Understated sense of have had enough "have had too much" was in O.E. (which relied heavily on double negatives and understatement). Colloquial 'nough said is attested from 1839.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • enough — enough, sufficient, sufficiently 1. Enough functions as both an adjective and an adverb, whereas sufficient requires modification as sufficiently. As an adjective (or modifier), enough will normally serve, but sufficient is more idiomatic when a… …   Modern English usage

  • enough — ► DETERMINER & PRONOUN ▪ as much or as many as is necessary or desirable. ► ADVERB 1) to the required degree or extent. 2) to a moderate degree. ● enough is as good as a feast Cf. ↑enough is as good as a feast ● …   English terms dictionary

  • Enough — E*nough , adv. 1. In a degree or quantity that satisfies; to satisfaction; sufficiently. [1913 Webster] 2. Fully; quite; used to express slight augmentation of the positive degree, and sometimes equivalent to very; as, he is ready enough to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Enough — E*nough , n. A sufficiency; a quantity which satisfies desire, is adequate to the want, or is equal to the power or ability; as, he had enough to do take care of himself. Enough is as good as a feast. [1913 Webster] And Esau said, I have enough,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • enough — [adj] plenty abundant, acceptable, adequate, all right already*, ample, bellyful*, bounteous, bountiful, comfortable, competent, complete, copious, decent, enough already*, fed up*, full, had it*, last straw*, lavish, plenteous, plentiful,… …   New thesaurus

  • enough — [ē nuf′, inuf′] adj. [ME inough < OE genoh < Gmc comp. (seen also in Ger genug , ON gnogr, Goth ganohs) < ge , intens. + * noh, enough < IE base * enek , * nek , to attain, achieve > L nactus, attained, Sans nákşati, (he) attains]… …   English World dictionary

  • Enough — E*nough ([ e]*n[u^]f ), a. [OE. inoh, inow, enogh, AS. gen[=o]h, gen[=o]g, a. & adv. (akin to OS. gin[=o]g, D. genoeg, OHG. ginoug, G. genug, Icel. gn[=o]gr, Sw. nog, Dan. nok, Goth. gan[=o]hs), fr. geneah it suffices (akin to Goth. ganah); pref …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • enough — e*nough , interj. An exclamation denoting sufficiency, being a shortened form of it is enough. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • enough — index adequate, quorum, sufficiency Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • enough — e|nough1 W1S1 [ıˈnʌf] adv [always after a verb, adjective, or adverb] 1.) to the degree that is necessary or wanted ▪ Are the carrots cooked enough? ▪ He just hadn t thought enough about the possible consequences. ▪ You can go to school when you… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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