enough small

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "enough small" is not correct in standard written English.
It is not a commonly used expression and does not convey a clear meaning in English. Example: "The box is enough small to fit in the cabinet."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

O.K., so enough small talk.

The New York Times - Arts

"We've got enough small guys," he said.

The New York Times - Sports

But enough small talk, let the auction begin.

The New York Times

Whether there will be enough small animals to go around is less clear.

The New York Times - Arts

You can easily spend $30 a person assembling enough small plates to sate your hunger.

The New York Times - Food

The pay was just enough small change to finance another alcoholic coma.

The New Yorker

Lately, enough small boutiques and restaurants have popped up for the area to have an earnest, artsy character.

The New York Times

In haste, he catches enough small toads to fill a tureen, but then has their clever mother to contend with.

The New York Times - Books

This is a policy that charges people for not downsizing without having enough small properties for them to downsize to.

The Guardian - Opinion

"But I've had enough small ones to make it so I haven't had all the preparation I wanted".

The New York Times

The House committee on administration voted to approve a bill that would provide matching federal money for Congressional candidates who attract enough small local donors.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming to express that something is adequately small, prefer the phrasing "small enough" over "enough small". This ensures grammatical correctness and clarity in your writing.

Common error

Avoid using the structure "enough [adjective]" when "[adjective] enough" is grammatically correct in most contexts. The word "enough" typically follows the adjective it modifies.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "enough small" functions as a modifier, attempting to describe a quality of size. However, due to its non-standard word order, it fails to do so effectively. Ludwig AI indicates the phrase is grammatically incorrect.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

35%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Academia

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "enough small" appears in various contexts, including news and scientific articles, it is considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. Ludwig AI highlights the incorrectness of this phrase. The preferred alternative is "small enough", which adheres to standard English word order. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid "enough small" in formal and professional writing and opt for grammatically correct alternatives to ensure clarity and credibility.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

small enough

Reverses the order of the words to conform to standard English adjective placement.

sufficiently small

Uses a more formal adjective to indicate adequate smallness.

adequately small

Emphasizes the adequacy of the small size.

just small enough

Highlights that the size meets a specific requirement with little excess.

appropriately small

Indicates that the size is suitable for a particular purpose.

acceptably small

Suggests the size is within tolerable limits.

sufficiently compact

Uses 'compact' as a synonym for small and indicates sufficiency.

suitably sized

Focuses on the suitability of the size.

small to the extent needed

Expresses that the size meets the precise need.

as small as necessary

Emphasizes the necessity of the size being small.

FAQs

What is the correct word order, "enough small" or "small enough"?

"Small enough" is the correct and commonly used word order in English. "Enough small" is grammatically incorrect.

Can I use "enough small" in formal writing?

No, it's advisable to avoid "enough small" in formal writing. Use "small enough" or "sufficiently small" for a more polished and professional tone.

What are some alternatives to "enough small"?

Depending on the context, you can use "small enough", "sufficiently small", "adequately small", or "just small enough".

Is "enough small" ever grammatically correct?

In standard English, "enough small" is generally not considered grammatically correct. The correct phrasing is usually "small enough".