TKG English Learner's Dictionary

enough

2 entries: pronoun · determiner

enoughpronoun

American /əˈnʌf/ British /ɪˈnʌf/ Said uh-NUFF; the final letters gh are pronounced like an f.
very commondefining vocabulary

  1. as much as neededas much or as many as is needed

    Enough stands alone, without a following noun, often before of: I've had enough, enough of this. Directly before a noun, enough is a determiner, a separate entry.

    Collocations

    phrase enough of, had enough, more than enough

Usage

Enough used alone or with of is a pronoun; directly before a noun, with no of, it is a determiner (enough time). After an adjective or adverb (good enough), enough is an adverb. All three are separate entries.

Common mistakes

I've had enough of. I've had enough.
Enough can stand completely alone; of is added only before a noun or pronoun naming what there is enough of.

See also enough (enough directly before a noun: enough time); enough (enough after an adjective or adverb: good enough)

enoughdeterminer

American /ə.ˈnʌf/ British /ɪ.ˈnʌf/ Said uh-NUFF; the final letters gh are pronounced like an f.
very commondefining vocabulary

  1. as much as neededused before an uncountable noun or a plural noun to mean as much or as many as is needed, or as much or as many as stated

    Enough normally comes directly before the noun: enough time, enough chairs. With an adjective or adverb, a different word order is needed, and enough comes after it instead (good enough, fast enough); that use belongs to the adverb entry.

    Collocations

    phrase enough time, enough money, more than enough, not enough

Usage

Enough comes before a noun (enough money) but after an adjective or adverb (rich enough, quickly enough); it never comes between an adjective and its noun. Enough used alone, without a noun, or after an adjective or adverb, belongs to separate entries.

Common mistakes

an enough big house a big enough house
Enough cannot come between an adjective and the noun it describes; with an adjective, enough follows it.

See also enough (enough used alone, without a following noun: I've had enough); enough (enough after an adjective or adverb: good enough, quickly enough)

For translators

Grammar trap Enough goes before a noun (enough water) but after an adjective or adverb (warm enough, soon enough); many languages put the equivalent word in the same position for both, which leads to word-order mistakes.
Pronunciation trap The stress is on the second syllable, said uh-NUFF; the final letters gh sound like an f.