Had enough vs Sick of

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Had enough

Top 2,000 (common)

Sick of

Informal Top 2,000 (common)

Most formal: Had enough

	Had enough	Sick of
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 //həd ɪˈnʌf// 🇺🇸 //hæd ɪˈnʌf//	🇬🇧 //sɪk əv// 🇺🇸 //sɪk əv//
Meaning	to be tired of something or someone	Tired of something
Example	I've had enough of this noise.	I'm sick of waiting for the bus every morning.
Register	Neutral	Informal
How common	Top 2,000 (common)	Top 2,000 (common)
Collocations	had enough time, had enough trouble, had enough patience, had enough support, had enough stress	sick of waiting, sick of excuses, sick of the drama, sick of the news, sick of this job
Antonyms	want more, enjoy, like	-
Common mistakes	Used incorrectly as 'have enough' instead of 'had enough'., Confused with 'enough' as an adjective., Inappropriately used in formal contexts.	Mixing it with 'sick from' which means affected by illness., Using it with a noun where a gerund is needed., Saying 'sick to' instead of 'sick of'.
Usage notes	Often used to express frustration or fatigue. Mostly neutral; can be informal depending on tone.	Use in casual conversations to express frustration or annoyance. Avoid in formal writing or speech.

See it in real clips

You told me we had enough resources for both of us.

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms › S1 E1

I'd had enough of that inn.

You told me we had enough resources for both of us.

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms › S1 E1

I'd had enough of that inn.

Had enough

House Of Cards › S1 E1

I am sick of the Fairfax County Council.

Sick of

Frequently asked questions: Had enough vs Sick of

What's the difference between Had enough and Sick of?

Had enough: to be tired of something or someone Sick of: Tired of something

Which is more formal: Had enough and Sick of?

Had enough is the most formal of these.

Can you show an example of each?

Had enough: I've had enough of this noise. Sick of: I'm sick of waiting for the bus every morning.

Can I use Had enough and Sick of interchangeably?

Not always. Had enough and Sick of are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.