fuss

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points: 7
Words With Friends: 8
Letters: 4

Pronunciation

/fʌs/

See all 2 pronunciations

/fʌs/ · /fʊs/

Definition of fuss

9 senses · 2 parts of speech · etymology included

noun

(countable, uncountable)Excessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something.

“They made a big fuss about the wedding plans.”
“What's all the fuss about?”
“Sickness did not last above a ten days; my poor wife zealously assiduous, and with a minimum of fuss or noise.”
““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.””
“But 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.”

See all 9 definitions

noun

(countable, uncountable)Excessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something.

“They made a big fuss about the wedding plans.”
“What's all the fuss about?”
“Sickness did not last above a ten days; my poor wife zealously assiduous, and with a minimum of fuss or noise.”
““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.””
“But 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.”
(countable, uncountable)A complaint or noise; a scene.

“If you make enough of a fuss about the problem, maybe they'll fix it for you.”
(countable, uncountable)An exhibition of affection or admiration.

“They made a great fuss over the new baby.”

verb

(intransitive)To be very worried or excited about something, often too much.

“His grandmother will never quit fussing over his vegetarianism.”
“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.”
(intransitive)To fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust

“Quit fussing with your hair. It looks fine.”
(transitive)To disturb (a person)
(US, especially, intransitive)To cry or be ill-humoured.
(intransitive)To show affection for, especially animals.
(transitive)To pet.

“He fussed the cat.”

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

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”).