Dictionary.com

foofaraw

[ foo-fuh-raw ]
/ ˈfu fəˌrɔ /
Save This Word!
noun
a great fuss or disturbance about something very insignificant.
an excessive amount of decoration or ornamentation, as on a piece of clothing, a building, etc.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of foofaraw

First recorded in 1845–50; originally a regional word on the western frontier of the U.S.; further etymology uncertain; possibly from Spanish fanfarrón, a noun and adjective meaning “braggart, boaster” (perhaps from Arabic farfār “talkative”); perhaps also from French fanfaron, a noun and adjective with the same meanings as the Spanish, the French dialect form fanfarou perhaps also having contributed

Words nearby foofaraw

food stylist, food truck, food vacuole, food vessel, food web, foofaraw, fool, fool around, fool away, foolery, foolfish
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT FOOFARAW

Where does foofaraw come from?

A foofaraw is either “a great fuss about something insignificant” or “an excessive amount of decoration.”

Etymologists think the word, which evidence now suggests is recorded in the American West in the mid-1800s, is based on the French fanfaron, “boastful,” and Spanish fanfarrĂłn, “vain, arrogant.” These words are apparently meant to sound “showy,” like a fanfare.

Many more amusing Americanisms await in our slideshow “These Wacky Words Originated In The USA.”

Did you know 
 ?

Foofaraw’s notion of making a big deal out of something insignificant is similar to the expression make a mountain out of a molehill. And foofaraw’s sense of excessive decoration can be conveyed using the noun forms of such adjectives as garish, gaudy, or ostentatious.

And if you’re looking for more synonyms for foofaraw, make some commotion or fuss on Thesaurus.com. Flaunt your vocab; we don’t think it’s showy. (See what we did there?)

FEEDBACK