big enough to be

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "big enough to be" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when describing something that meets a certain size requirement or threshold for a specific purpose or classification. Example: "The box is big enough to be used for storing all of my winter clothes."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"He's big enough to be a keeper".

The New York Times

Now they've made them big enough to be practical.

MIT Technology Review

It wasn't even big enough to be scary in 1959".

The New Yorker

It may not be very big, but it's big enough to be a cause for concern.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The investigation concluded that the errors were not big enough to be considered "material".

The Economist

Fella wasn't big enough to be a serious college football player.

The New Yorker

Porto is big enough to be interesting and small enough to be intimate.

Independent

"Northern Ireland isn't big enough to be competitive" in soccer, Cronin said.

The New York Times - Sports

Some of the closets were big enough to be bedrooms, they figured.

The New Yorker

The tax gap was big enough to be irritating, but not to be terrifying.

The Economist

And don't even try to cook pumpkin that's big enough to be a jack-o'-lantern.

The New York Times - Food

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "big enough to be" when you want to express that something meets a minimum size requirement for a specific purpose or classification. For example, "The room is big enough to be used as a conference hall."

Common error

Avoid using "big enough to be" with abstract concepts that don't inherently relate to size. For example, instead of saying "The problem is big enough to be a crisis", consider saying "The problem is serious enough to be a crisis."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "big enough to be" typically functions as an adjectival phrase modifying a noun, indicating that something meets a minimum size requirement to fulfill a specific purpose or qualify for a certain category. Ludwig AI confirms that this phrase is correct.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

79%

Academia

11%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "big enough to be" is a versatile construct used to indicate that something meets a certain size threshold for a specific purpose or classification. As Ludwig AI points out, it is grammatically sound and widely applicable across various contexts. It's important to consider more fitting alternatives when referring to abstract concepts. Examples from Ludwig underscore its prevalence in news, academic writing, and scientific discourse, making it a valuable addition to your writing toolkit.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

sufficiently large to be

Replaces "big" with a more formal synonym and maintains the same structure.

adequately sized to be

Focuses on size as the determining factor, similar to the original phrase.

large enough for

Simplified version omitting "to be", implying suitability without explicitly stating a condition.

significant enough to be

Emphasizes importance or impact in addition to size.

substantial enough to be

Implies a considerable amount or degree, not just physical size.

considerable enough to be

Highlights the noteworthiness of the size or amount.

ample enough to be

Suggests more than enough space or capacity.

roomy enough to be

Specifically refers to having sufficient space.

spacious enough to be

Similar to roomy, but emphasizes the feeling of openness.

of sufficient magnitude to be

Formal and technical alternative, emphasizing scale and importance.

FAQs

How can I use "big enough to be" in a sentence?

Use "big enough to be" to indicate that something meets a certain size requirement for a specific purpose. For instance, "The container is "large enough to hold" all the equipment".

What are some alternatives to "big enough to be"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "sufficiently large to be", "large enough for", or "adequately sized to be".

Is it always necessary to include "to be" after "big enough"?

No, it's not always necessary. You can often simplify the phrase to "big enough for" without changing the meaning significantly. However, including "to be" can sometimes add clarity or formality.

When should I avoid using "big enough to be"?

Avoid using "big enough to be" when referring to abstract concepts where size is not the relevant factor. In such cases, use adjectives that describe the quality or characteristic you want to emphasize, such as "important", "serious", or "significant".