Meaning of Idiom ‘Enough is Enough
Enough is enough is an emphatic way of saying “Stop!” It means whatever is happening must stop; no more will be tolerated; you should be satisfied with what you have, or with the situation or circumstances that exist. 1Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.,2Ayto, John. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010.,3Heacock, Paul. Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2010.,4Brenner, Gail Abel. Webster’s New World American Idioms Handbook. Wiley, 2003.
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Usage
Usually used as an interjection.
Examples:
“You have to stop showing up late for work. Enough is enough!”
“If you keep gambling you are going to lose all your money. You’ve already won a lot—enough is enough.”
“All this bickering has to stop. You kids have to learn to share. Enough is enough!”
Origin
Although today this phrase is used more as a reprimand or warning, it began more as an expression of satisfaction or contentment such as in the proverb “Enough is as good as a feast.” It appeared in John Heywood’s 1546 Dialague of Proverbs. 5Speake, Jennifer. The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs. Oxford University Press, 2015.
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Sources
| 1. | ↲ | Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013. |
| 2. | ↲ | Ayto, John. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010. |
| 3. | ↲ | Heacock, Paul. Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2010. |
| 4. | ↲ | Brenner, Gail Abel. Webster’s New World American Idioms Handbook. Wiley, 2003. |
| 5. | ↲ | Speake, Jennifer. The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs. Oxford University Press, 2015. |