suffice
- 01 C1 Advanced
to be enough or to be good enough for what you need.
to be adequate or sufficient for a purpose; to meet the requirements of a situation.
Simple“You do not need to write a long report; a short email will suffice.”
In context“While a brief summary might suffice for a general audience, the board of directors will require a comprehensive financial breakdown.”
UsageCommonly used in the phrase 'suffice it to say', which introduces a summary of a longer story.
Antonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
to be enough to make someone happy or satisfied.
to satisfy or content a person; to be equal to their specific demands or wants.
Simple“No amount of money could suffice him after he lost his home.”
In context“The modest inheritance did not suffice the ambitious heir, who had expected a much larger portion of the estate.”
UsageIn this sense, the verb is transitive and takes a direct object representing the person being satisfied.
SynonymscontentgratifyAntonymsdissatisfy
“For those who missed out on eclipse glasses, homemade viewers made from cereal boxes sufficed, while others used colanders to create pinhole projectors.”
“There is no European football to complicate the schedule and a return to the Champions League by finishing in the top four or five would suffice for now.”
From Middle English suffisen, from Middle French souffire, from Latin sufficiō (“supply, be adequate”), from sub (“under”) + faciō (“do, make”). Cognate with French suffire.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.