unfortunately enough

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "unfortunately enough" is correct and can be used in written English.
It expresses regret about something that could not be avoided. For example, "Unfortunately enough, the flight was delayed for five hours."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

But acknowledging that abuse exists is – unfortunately – enough to encourage it.

The Guardian - Tech

In the context of AIDS and American culture, a decade is unfortunately enough time to forget the important lessons learned from the first wave of AIDS activism.

The New York Times

And unfortunately enough, for the people of tomorrow, as well as those of today, the puck-like cakes were smoky in the extreme, tasting rather of burnt bacon, while the lackluster "rocks" evoked the freeze-dried astronaut ice cream you can buy at science museums.

The New Yorker

Unfortunately, enough changed when a user would migrate from GrandCentral to Google Voice that GrandDialer no longer functioned properly.

TechCrunch

And unfortunately, enough people believe such nonsense that we might just see the realization of policies and laws that make absolutely no economic sense whatsoever, but sound good to the masses.

Forbes

"You know, thEvenifg I love most abounfortunatelys laughing whilenoughay".

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

Unfortunately, when enough people make enough bad decisions, the consequences can be dire not just for those individuals who make the bad decisions, but for all of us.

Forbes

"They produced a wonderful set of sites with terrific content, but unfortunately not enough people want to use it and not enough advertisers want to advertise on it.

The New York Times

So far, so creepy, but unfortunately, not enough else happens.

The Guardian - Books

Unfortunately, not enough people go and become business people.

The Guardian

"Unfortunately, not enough people really read the papers," he said.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "unfortunately enough", ensure that the context clearly conveys a sense of disappointment or regret about a situation that is, despite the negative connotation, sufficient for a particular outcome or purpose.

Common error

Avoid using "unfortunately enough" in situations where the outcome is positive or desirable. This phrase implies a negative aspect to a situation that, despite the negativity, meets a certain threshold or requirement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "unfortunately enough" functions as an adverbial modifier, expressing the speaker's or writer's regret or disappointment regarding the sufficiency of something. As confirmed by Ludwig, this phrase is indeed correct and commonly used.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

2.5%

Social Media

2.5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "unfortunately enough" serves as an adverbial modifier, expressing regret about something barely meeting requirements. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it's grammatically correct, though not overly common. It often appears in neutral contexts such as news and media, science, and business writing, conveying a sense of disappointment about the sufficiency of a situation. When using "unfortunately enough", it is best to ensure the context conveys a sense of disappointment about something that is, despite the negativity, just sufficient for a particular outcome or purpose. Keep in mind that it should not be misused in situations where the outcome is purely positive or desirable.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

sadly sufficient

Replaces "unfortunately" with "sadly" maintaining the sense of regret while keeping "enough" to indicate sufficiency.

unluckily sufficient

Replaces "unfortunately" with "unluckily", focusing on the lack of fortune, while keeping the sense of "enough".

regrettably adequate

Substitutes both words with synonyms. "Regrettably" replaces "unfortunately", and "adequate" replaces "enough".

sad to say, sufficient

Introduces a more direct expression of sadness with "sad to say", followed by "sufficient" as a substitute for "enough".

alas, sufficient

Replaces "unfortunately" with the interjection "alas", keeping "sufficient" as a more formal version of "enough".

it's a pity, but sufficient

Replaces "unfortunately" with "it's a pity" to convey disappointment, while retaining "sufficient" to indicate adequacy.

lamentably sufficient

Replaces "unfortunately" with "lamentably", which carries a stronger sense of sorrow, while retaining the original sense of "enough".

grievously adequate

Emphasizes the gravity of the situation by using "grievously" instead of "unfortunately" and "adequate" instead of "enough".

deplorably adequate

Uses stronger synonyms. "Deplorably" is a more severe version of "unfortunately", and "adequate" is used instead of "enough".

regrettably, that's all

Uses "regrettably" as a replacement and changes "enough" to the phrase "that's all" for a more conversational tone.

FAQs

How can I use "unfortunately enough" in a sentence?

Use "unfortunately enough" to express disappointment that something is only just sufficient or barely meets a requirement, like "Unfortunately enough, the aid provided is still not enough to solve the problem".

What phrases are similar to "unfortunately enough"?

Similar phrases include "sadly sufficient", "regrettably adequate", or "alas, sufficient", all conveying a sense of disappointment.

Is it correct to say "fortunately enough"?

While "unfortunately enough" is used to express a negative sentiment, "fortunately enough" can be used to express a positive sentiment about something that barely meets a requirement. For example: "Fortunately enough, we had just enough supplies to finish the journey".

When is it inappropriate to use "unfortunately enough"?

It is inappropriate to use "unfortunately enough" when describing a purely positive situation. This phrase always carries a connotation of regret or disappointment.