make a fuss
Idioms-
Cause a needless commotion or display, as in I'm sure he'll be here soon; please don't make a fuss . It is also often put as , as in He's making a fuss about nothing , or If you make a fuss over the small budget items, what will it be like when we discuss the big ones? The idiom dates from about 1800, although the use of fuss in this sense is a century older.
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make a fuss over someone . Treat someone with excessive attention, solicitude, or affection, as in Whenever they visit Grandma she makes a fuss over the children . [1920s]
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 you’re an employee-journalist at the money-losing news division of a conglomerate in need of government approval for a major transaction, you can stand on principle and make a fuss, and that’s fine.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
Still, it's been quite a while since the Post tried and failed to make a fuss.
From Salon • Sep. 18, 2024
The implication was that because he was addressing the situation, the Japanese media shouldn’t make a fuss.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2024
Many traditional recipes make a fuss out of an otherwise simple meal, often boiling the lentils and sausages separately, then assembling them together for a final bake.
From Washington Times • Mar. 29, 2023
This unsettled me a little, and Ruth had been great about it, watching over me without seeming to make a fuss, always ready to cheer me up if I seemed gloomy.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
