fuss
Americannoun
-
an excessive display of anxious attention or activity; needless or useless bustle.
They made a fuss over the new baby.
- Antonyms:
- inactivity
-
an argument or noisy dispute.
They had a fuss about who should wash dishes.
-
a complaint or protest, especially about something relatively unimportant.
verb (used without object)
-
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.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
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
verb
-
(intr) to worry unnecessarily
-
(intr) to be excessively concerned over trifles
-
to show great or excessive concern, affection, etc (for)
-
to quarrel violently
-
(tr) to bother (a person)
Other Word Forms
- fusser noun
- unfussed adjective
- unfussing adjective
Etymology
Origin of fuss
First recorded in 1695–1705; origin uncertain
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When Ray opens the door, he smiles at me and makes a big fuss over Boo.
From Literature
He's not alone: according to City Hall, Istanbul has more than 160,000 cats living on its streets who are regularly fed and fussed over by the city's 16 million residents.
From Barron's
It is her son Parker, who at just a few months old is in his Christmas babygrow and loving the fuss.
From BBC
"I said 'no I'm not, I hate having my photo taken' and I made quite a fuss about it."
From BBC
Starting out as documentarians, the Dardenne brothers have long fashioned their social-realist narratives as stripped-down affairs, eschewing music scores and shooting the scenes in long takes with a minimum of fuss.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
