fuss
an excessive display of anxious attention or activity; needless or useless bustle: They made a fuss over the new baby.
an argument or noisy dispute: They had a fuss about who should wash dishes.
a complaint or protest, especially about something relatively unimportant.
to make a fuss; make much ado about trifles: You'll never finish the job if you fuss over details.
to complain especially about something relatively unimportant.
to disturb, especially with trifles; annoy; bother.
Origin of fuss
1Other words for fuss
Opposites for fuss
Other words from fuss
- fusser, noun
- un·fussed, adjective
- un·fuss·ing, adjective
Words Nearby fuss
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use fuss in a sentence
Patrick Henry’s cheer situation highlights the pressure some parents have felt to keep their kids involved in youth sports during the pandemic – and to not raise a fuss or ask if they meet local health and safety orders.
School Sports Became ‘Clubs’ Amid the Pandemic – Now Two Coaches Are Out | Ashly McGlone | September 17, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoIf you’re looking for reliable reading aids without the fuss, consider these ultra classic picks.
Bedside table lamps to brighten your sleep space | PopSci Commerce Team | September 15, 2020 | Popular-ScienceCombined with its container that holds up to 17 spent capsules at a time, this machine is fine-tuned for maximum efficiency with minimal fuss.
If Gloria and Lawson-Remer both win, Ikhrata opponents on the board could raise a fuss, but couldn’t hope to defeat his plan.
Politics Report: Who Will Get the Midway Rose? | Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts | August 15, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoIn other words, despite the slew of advertisers that made a fuss about pulling their ads, Facebook’s ad business will continue to thrive — even as some of its biggest advertisers keep away.
As the Facebook boycott ends, brand advertisers are split on what happens next with their marketing budgets | Seb Joseph | August 3, 2020 | Digiday
Now, with the publication of ‘Loitering,’ the uninitiated can discover what all the fuss is about.
Charles D’Ambrosio’s X-Ray Vision Is On Full Display In His New Essay Collection. | Steve Almond | November 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe jacket and gloves were a precaution in the event the eaglet panicked, but there was little fuss as he tossed the net over her.
After what one cop called “a heck of a fuss,” they finally managed to print her.
The Mystery Woman Who Tried to Outdo Dillinger | Michael Daly | September 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOthers have argued that he was never really that great, and the sports world has made a big fuss over nothing.
The Captain’s Log: Derek Jeter’s Lady-Killing Past, From ‘Yeah, Jeets!’ to Gift Baskets | Emily Shire | September 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTShe knew how to cause a fuss, how to become the center of media attention.
I'm getting rather bored, you know, Georgie, with the fuss people make in town.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsI knowed, a-course, that I could go kick up a fuss when Simpson stopped by his office on his trip back from Goldstone.
Alec Lloyd, Cowpuncher | Eleanor Gates"Better stop making a fuss, first off," growled another masculine voice, and again Betty giggled nervously.
The Outdoor Girls in the Saddle | Laura Lee HopeSure, when you come to think of it, a king is no more than any other man, only for all the fuss that does be made about him.
The Whale and the Grasshopper | Seumas O'BrienI remember the fuss they made about it in the society papers—fulsome, sickenin' sort of hog-wash they wrote.
A Butterfly on the Wheel | Cyril Arthur Edward Ranger Gull
British Dictionary definitions for fuss
/ (fʌs) /
nervous activity or agitation, esp when disproportionate or unnecessary
complaint or objection: he made a fuss over the bill
an exhibition of affection or admiration, esp if excessive: they made a great fuss over the new baby
a quarrel; dispute
(intr) to worry unnecessarily
(intr) to be excessively concerned over trifles
(when intr, usually foll by over) to show great or excessive concern, affection, etc (for)
(intr foll by with) Jamaican to quarrel violently
(tr) to bother (a person)
Origin of fuss
1Derived forms of fuss
- fusser, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with fuss
In addition to the idiom beginning with fuss
- fuss and feathers
also see:
- kick up a fuss
- make a fuss
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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