Acceptable vs Adequate vs Decent vs Good enough

Cuándo usar cada una en inglés, con significado, registro y ejemplos.

Acceptable

Top 2000 (común) B2 adjective

Adequate

Top 2000 (común) B2 adjective

Decent

Top 2000 (común) B2 adjective

Good enough

Más de 10 000 (menos común)

	Acceptable	Adequate	Decent	Good enough
Pronunciación	🇬🇧 /["/əkˈseptəbl/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/əkˈseptəbl/"]/	🇬🇧 //ˈædɪkwət// 🇺🇸 //ˈædɪkwɪt//	🇬🇧 /["/ˈdiːsnt/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈdiːsnt/"]/	🇬🇧 //ɡʊd ɪˈnʌf// 🇺🇸 //ɡʊd ɪˈnʌf//
Significado	Está bien o es lo suficientemente bueno para ser usado. Okay or good enough to be used.	Suficiente para lo que se necesita. Good enough for what is needed.	Lo suficientemente bueno; aceptable. Good enough; acceptable.	Aceptable, pero no perfecto. Satisfactory, but not perfect.
Ejemplo	The noise level in the library is not acceptable for studying.	The food was adequate, but I expected something better.	She has a decent understanding of the topic.	The meal was good enough for me, though it could have used more flavor.
Registro	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral
Qué tan común	Top 2000 (común)	Top 2000 (común)	Top 2000 (común)	Más de 10 000 (menos común)
Nivel CEFR	B2	B2	B2	-
Categoría gramatical	adjective	adjective	adjective
Colocaciones	be, prove, seem, highly, very, completely, to, the boundaries of acceptable…, the bounds of acceptable…, the limits of acceptable…, be, prove, seem, highly, very, completely, to, the boundaries of acceptable…, the bounds of acceptable…, the limits of acceptable…	adequate resources, adequate solution, adequate response	be, look, really, very, perfectly, to, be, very, really, perfectly, do the decent thing, be, look, really, very, perfectly, to	good enough for government work, good enough to eat, good enough to go, good enough to pass, good enough to satisfy
Antónimos	unacceptable, unsatisfactory, poor	inadequate, insufficient	poor, subpar, inferior	-
Errores comunes	Confused with 'acceptable' vs 'accepted'., Using 'acceptable' as a noun incorrectly., Overusing 'acceptable' in contexts that require stronger words like 'excellent' or 'outstanding'.	Confused with 'sufficient' - 'adequate' implies minimum quality, while 'sufficient' means enough in quantity., Using 'adequate' too casually, as it is more formal., Mispronouncing it, especially in unstressed syllables.	Using 'decent' to mean 'excellent' instead of 'acceptable'., Confusing it with 'descent' or 'recent'.	Used in overly formal contexts where higher standards are expected., Confused with 'good' as a standalone adjective., Misused as a synonym for 'excellent'.
Notas de uso	Se usa tanto en contextos hablados como escritos para indicar algo que cumple con los estándares necesarios. Puede ser formal en contextos académicos y más casual en conversaciones cotidianas. Evita usarlo en circunstancias que requieren altos estándares o calidad excepcional. Used in both spoken and written contexts to indicate something that meets necessary standards. It can be formal in academic contexts and more casual in everyday conversations. Avoid in circumstances that require high standards or exceptional quality.	Usa 'adecuado' cuando algo cumple con los requisitos necesarios, pero no es excepcional. Se usa a menudo en contextos formales, como informes o evaluaciones. Use 'adequate' when something meets the necessary requirements, but is not exceptional. It's often used in formal contexts, like reports or evaluations.	Usa 'decente' para describir algo que cumple con los estándares básicos, pero que no es excepcional. Sirve para la mayoría de las situaciones, pero podría sonar demasiado informal en contextos muy serios. Use 'decent' when describing something that meets basic standards but isn't exceptional. It's suitable for most contexts but may sound too casual in very formal situations.	Se usa para expresar que algo cumple con los requisitos mínimos. Es apropiado tanto en contextos formales como informales, pero menos adecuado para situaciones que requieren altos estándares. Used to express that something meets the minimum requirements. Appropriate in both formal and informal contexts, but less suitable for situations requiring high standards.

Míralo en clips reales

Ted Lasso › S1 E1

Now, Coach Lasso may not have the CV that you all find acceptable,

Breaking Bad › S1 E1

but thank you, Jesse. I'm glad it's acceptable.

Ted Lasso › S1 E1

Now, Coach Lasso may not have the CV that you all find acceptable,

Breaking Bad › S1 E1

but thank you, Jesse. I'm glad it's acceptable.

Acceptable

Captain, the decent thing to do

Succession › S1 E1

Logan, himself, has made a decent way for himself these past 60 years.

The Lord Of The Rings › The return of the king

We're not in decent places.

Captain, the decent thing to do

Succession › S1 E1

Logan, himself, has made a decent way for himself these past 60 years.

Decent

Is my credit good enough to buy you out?

Breaking Bad › S1 E5

So what? Cloudy, not cloudy? It looks good enough to me.

...the truth isn't good enough.

Is my credit good enough to buy you out?

Breaking Bad › S1 E5

So what? Cloudy, not cloudy? It looks good enough to me.

Good enough

Preguntas frecuentes: Acceptable vs Adequate vs Decent vs Good enough

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre Acceptable, Adequate, Decent y Good enough?

Acceptable: Okay or good enough to be used. Adequate: Good enough for what is needed. Decent: Good enough; acceptable. Good enough: Satisfactory, but not perfect.

¿Puedes mostrar un ejemplo de cada una?

Acceptable: The noise level in the library is not acceptable for studying. Adequate: The food was adequate, but I expected something better. Decent: She has a decent understanding of the topic. Good enough: The meal was good enough for me, though it could have used more flavor.

¿Puedo usar Acceptable, Adequate, Decent y Good enough indistintamente?

No siempre. Acceptable, Adequate, Decent y Good enough están relacionadas y a veces se solapan, pero difieren en registro, frecuencia y uso, así que cambiar una por otra puede alterar el significado o el tono. Revisa las diferencias de arriba antes de sustituir.