This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
kerfuffle
[ ker-fuhf-uhl ]
/ kərˈfʌf əl /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun
Chiefly British Informal. a fuss; commotion.
QUIZ
GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!
Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.
Question 1 of 9
Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?
Origin of kerfuffle
First recorded in 1945–50; from Scots curfuffle, equivalent to cur- (from Scots Gaelic car “to twist, turn,” from Old Irish cor “a turn) + fuffle “to disorder, confuse” (of imitative origin)
Words nearby kerfuffle
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use kerfuffle in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for kerfuffle
kerfuffle
carfuffle or kurfuffle
/ (kəˈfʌfəl) /
noun
informal, mainly British commotion; disorder; agitation
verb
(tr) Scot to put into disorder or disarray; ruffle or disarrange
Word Origin for kerfuffle
from Scottish curfuffle, carfuffle, from Scottish Gaelic car twist, turn + fuffle to disarrange
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