Meanings
nounfuss (countable and uncountable, plural fusses)
plural fusses
- countableuncountableExcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something.
What's all the fuss about?
4 more examples
They made a big fuss about the wedding plans.
Sickness did not last above a ten days; my poor wife zealously assiduous, and with a minimum of fuss or noise.
1866 (date written), Thomas Carlyle, “Jane Welsh Carlyle”, in James Anthony Froude, editor, Reminiscences, volume II, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1881, →OCLC, page 158“Anthea hasn't a notion in her head but to vamp a lot of silly mugwumps. She's set her heart on that tennis bloke[…]whom the papers are making such a fuss about.”
1935, George Goodchild, chapter 1, in Death on the Centre CourtBut in the reader comments section beneath the FT piece, many couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about. “I’m surprised to see the FT reporting this sort of thing,” one person wrote.
2018 January 25, Amelia Gentleman, “Men-only clubs and menace: how the establishment maintains male power”, in the GuardianSynonyms: hubbub, to-do, ado, argy-bargy, bangarang, bobbery, brouhaha, bunfight
- countableuncountableAn exhibition of affection or admiration.
They made a great fuss over the new baby.
verbfuss (third-person singular simple present fusses, present participle fussing, simple past and past participle fussed)
present singular third person fusses · participle present fussing · participle past fussed · past fussed
- intransitiveTo be very worried or excited about something, often too much.
His grandmother will never quit fussing over his vegetarianism.
1 more example
Dear reader, spare me. I don't hate men, I love them; I eat 'em for breakfast. But it seems to me that fussing about masculinity is intimately related to homophobia.
1984 December 29, Duncan Mitchel, “The Cult of Gay Machismo”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 25, page 9 - transitiveTo disturb (a person)
- USespeciallyintransitiveTo cry or be ill-humoured.
- intransitiveTo show affection for, especially animals.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounExcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna quarrel about petty points
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Danishfjas“nonsense”
- Englishfuss
Of unknown origin. Perhaps from Danish fjas (“nonsense”), from Middle Low German (compare German faseln (“to maunder, talk nonsense”)). Compare also fouse (“to hasten, rush, tumble, disarrange”).
More words from Danish
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian суетене, шетня
- суетене (suetene)excessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- шетня (šetnja)excessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- шум (šum)a complaint or noise
- врява (vrjava)a complaint or noise
- тревожа се (trevoža se)to be very worried or excited about something, often too much
- безпокоя се (bezpokoja se)to be very worried or excited about something, often too much
- суетя се (suetja se)to fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something
- щурам се (šturam se)to fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something
Catalan rebombori, gatzara
- rebomboriexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- gatzaraexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- brogitexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- cridòriaexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- aldarullexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- romançosa complaint or noise
Czech povyk
- povykexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
Finnish hössötys, hämminki
- hössötysexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- hämminkiexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- tohinaexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- touhuexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- touhuaminenexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- touhotusexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- metelia complaint or noise
- metakkaa complaint or noise
- ihasteluan exhibition of affection or admiration
- tohinaan exhibition of affection or admiration
- touhuan exhibition of affection or admiration
- touhotusan exhibition of affection or admiration
- hössöttääto be very worried or excited about something, often too much
- touhottaato be very worried or excited about something, often too much
- tohistato be very worried or excited about something, often too much
- hiplatato fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something
- touhutato fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something
- touhottaato fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something
- helliäto show affection for
- hellitelläto show affection for
- silitelläto pet
French agitation, histoires
- agitationexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- histoiresa complaint or noise
- s’agiterto be very worried or excited about something, often too much
- s’empresserto be very worried or excited about something, often too much
- tracasserto fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something
German Lärm, Wirbel
- Lärmexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- Wirbelexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- Aufstandexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- Gehabeexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- Trubelexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- Wirbela complaint or noise
- Theatera complaint or noise
- Geschreia complaint or noise
- ein Fass aufmachenan exhibition of affection or admiration
- fummelnto fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something
- verrückt sein (nach)to show affection for
- streichelnto pet
Greek αναστάτωση, φασαρία
- αναστάτωση (anastátosi)excessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- φασαρία (fasaría)excessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- αναταραχή (anatarachí)excessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- σαματάς (samatás)excessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- αναμπουμπούλα (anampoumpoúla)excessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- φασαρία (fasaría)a complaint or noise
- σαματάς (samatás)a complaint or noise
- ανησυχώ (anisychó)to be very worried or excited about something, often too much
- πειράζω (peirázo)to fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something
- χαϊδεύω (chaïdévo)to pet
Hungarian felhajtás, hűhó
- felhajtásexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- hűhóexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- fakszniexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- balhéa complaint or noise
- jeleneta complaint or noise
- botránya complaint or noise
- felzúdulása complaint or noise
- lármaa complaint or noise
- izgulto be very worried or excited about something, often too much
- nagy hűhót csapto be very worried or excited about something, often too much
- nagy faksznit csinálto be very worried or excited about something, often too much
- babrálto fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something
- vacakolto fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something
- igazgatto fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something
- matatto fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something
Irish fothragadh
- fothragadhexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
Italian confusione, trambusto
- confusioneexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- trambustoexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- daffareexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- rumorea complaint or noise
- baccanoa complaint or noise
- chiassoa complaint or noise
- scalporean exhibition of affection or admiration
- entusiasmoan exhibition of affection or admiration
- agitarsito be very worried or excited about something, often too much
- affannarsito be very worried or excited about something, often too much
- scalmanarsito be very worried or excited about something, often too much
- scocciareto fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something
- agitarsito fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something
- seccareto fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something
Māori utiuti, amuamu
- utiutiexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- amuamua complaint or noise
- kōamuamua complaint or noise
Norwegian kjas
- kjasexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
Polish przeżywać, przejmować się
- przeżywaćto be very worried or excited about something, often too much
- przejmować sięto be very worried or excited about something, often too much
- srać się (vulg)to be very worried or excited about something, often too much
Portuguese rebuliço, confusão
- rebuliçoexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- confusãoexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- barulhoexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- reclamaçãoa complaint or noise
- bagunçaa complaint or noise
- barulhoa complaint or noise
- fuzuêa complaint or noise
- auêa complaint or noise
Romanian freamăt, agitație
- freamătexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- agitațieexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- frământareexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- indispozițiea complaint or noise
- zgomota complaint or noise
- gălăgiea complaint or noise
- entuziasman exhibition of affection or admiration
- agitato be very worried or excited about something, often too much
- frământato be very worried or excited about something, often too much
- fâțâito fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something
- foito fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something
Russian суета́, сумато́ха
- суета́ (sujetá)excessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- сумато́ха (sumatóxa)excessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- сыр-бор (syr-bor)excessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- шуми́ха (šumíxa)excessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- шум (šum)a complaint or noise
- представле́ние (predstavlénije)a complaint or noise
- суети́ться (sujetítʹsja)to be very worried or excited about something, often too much
- переживать (pereživatʹ)to be very worried or excited about something, often too much
- возиться (vozitʹsja)to fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something
Spanish fandango, jaleo
- fandangoexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- jaleoexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- escándaloexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- quilomboexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- aspavientoexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- alharacaexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- espavientoexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- pamentoexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- milagrónexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- esparajismoexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- quilomboa complaint or noise
- cuentosa complaint or noise
Turkish telaş, velvele
- telaşexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- velveleexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
- yaygaraexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
Welsh ffwdan
- ffwdanexcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with fuss
usplusthusdiscussbussusRusgustrusspusmusscussloesssuss++commuter busconcussdrive the porcelain busembusnonpluspercussquusstill with us
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
fuss. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fuss
MLA
“fuss.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fuss. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fuss,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fuss.
Source: fuss on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.