2 N‑VAR Enlistment is the period of time for which someone is a member of one of the armed forces. □ At the end of my term of enlistment I decided to return to civilian life.
en|liv|en / I nla I v ə n/ (enlivens , enlivening , enlivened ) VERB To enliven events, situations, or people means to make them more lively or cheerful. □ [be V -ed] Even the most boring meeting was enlivened by Dan's presence.
en masse /ɒ n mæ s/ ADV [ADV after v, n ADV ] If a group of people do something en masse , they do it all together and at the same time. □ The people marched en masse.
en|meshed / I nme ʃt/ ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you are enmeshed in or with something, usually something bad, you are involved in it and cannot easily escape from it. □ [+ in ] All too often they become enmeshed in deadening routines. □ [+ with ] …as her life gets enmeshed with Andrew's.
en|mity /e nm I ti/ (enmities ) N‑VAR Enmity is a feeling of hatred towards someone that lasts for a long time. □ [+ between ] I think there is an historic enmity between them.
en|no|ble / I nnoʊ b ə l/ (ennobles , ennobling , ennobled )
1 VERB To ennoble someone or something means to make them more dignified and morally better. [LITERARY ] □ [V n] …the enduring fundamental principles of life that ennoble mankind. ● en|no|bling ADJ □ …the ennobling and civilizing power of education.
2 VERB [usu passive] If someone is ennobled , they are made a member of the nobility. [FORMAL ] □ [be V -ed] …the son of a financier who had been ennobled. □ [V -ed] He was ennobled in the New Year's Honours List.
en|nui /ɒnwiː / N‑UNCOUNT Ennui is a feeling of being tired, bored, and dissatisfied. [LITERARY ]
enor|mity / I nɔː r m I ti/ (enormities )
1 N‑UNCOUNT If you refer to the enormity of something that you consider to be a problem or difficulty, you are referring to its very great size, extent, or seriousness. □ [+ of ] I was numbed by the enormity of the responsibility.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If you refer to the enormity of an event, you are emphasizing that it is terrible and frightening. [EMPHASIS ] □ [+ of ] It makes no sense to belittle the enormity of the disaster which has occurred.
enor|mous ◆◇◇ / I nɔː r məs/
1 ADJ Something that is enormous is extremely large in size or amount. □ The main bedroom is enormous. □ There is, of course, an enormous amount to see.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can use enormous to emphasize the great degree or extent of something. [EMPHASIS ] □ It was an enormous disappointment. ● enor|mous|ly ADV [ADV adj, ADV with v] □ This book was enormously influential. SYNONYMS enormous ADJ 1
huge: …a tiny little woman with huge black glasses.
vast: …farmers who own vast stretches of land.
massive: …a massive steam boat.
great: The room had a great bay window.
immense: …an immense cloud of smoke.
gigantic: …gigantic rocks.
enough ◆◆◆ / I nʌ f/
1 DET Enough means as much as you need or as much as is necessary. □ They had enough cash for a one-way ticket. □ There aren't enough tents to shelter them all. ● ADV [ADV after v, oft ADV to-inf] Enough is also an adverb. □ I was old enough to work and earn money. □ Do you believe that sentences for criminals are tough enough at present? □ She graduated with high enough marks to apply for university. ● PRON Enough is also a pronoun. □ Although the U.K. says efforts are being made, they are not doing enough. ● QUANT Enough is also a quantifier. □ All parents worry about whether their child is getting enough of the right foods. ● ADJ [n ADJ ] Enough is also an adjective. □ By autumn it hopes to have 200 new lines – proof enough of the growing market.
2 PRON If you say that something is enough , you mean that you do not want it to continue any longer or get any worse. □ I met him only the once, and that was enough. □ I think I have said enough. □ You've got enough to think about for the moment. ● QUANT Enough is also a quantifier. □ Ann had heard enough of this. ● DET Enough is also a determiner. □ I've had enough problems with the police, I don't need this. □ Would you shut up, please! I'm having enough trouble with these children! ● ADV [adj ADV ] Enough is also an adverb. □ I'm serious, things are difficult enough as they are.
3 ADV You can use enough to say that something is the case to a moderate or fairly large degree. □ Winter is a common enough German surname. □ The rest of the evening passed pleasantly enough.
4 ADV You use enough in expressions such as strangely enough and interestingly enough to indicate that you think a fact is strange or interesting. □ Strangely enough, the last thing he thought of was his beloved Tanya.
5 PHRASE If you say that you have had enough , you mean that you are unhappy with a situation and you want it to stop. □ I had had enough of other people for one night.
6 fair enough → see fair