fuss

Of unknown origin. Perhaps from Danish fjas (“nonsense”)[1], from Middle Low German (compare German faseln (“to maunder, talk nonsense”))

• IPA^(key): /fʌs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌs

fuss (countable and uncountable, plural fusses)

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

   They made a big fuss about the wedding plans.

   What's all the fuss about?

   • (Can we date this quote?) Thomas Carlyle

     zealously, assiduously, and with a minimum of fuss or noise

   • 1935, George Goodchild, chapter 1, in Death on the Centre Court:

     “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.”

   • 2018 January 25, Amelia Gentleman, “Men-only clubs and menace: how the establishment maintains male power”, in the Guardian‎:

     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.

2. A complaint or noise; a scene.

   If you make enough of a fuss about the problem, maybe they'll fix it for you.

3. An exhibition of affection or admiration.

   They made a great fuss over the new baby.

fuss (third-person singular simple present fusses, present participle fussing, simple past and past participle fussed)

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

   His grandmother will never quit fussing over his vegetarianism.

2. (intransitive) To fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust

   Quit fussing with your hair. It looks fine.

3. (intransitive, especially of babies) To cry or be ill-humoured.
4. (intransitive, with over) To show affection for, especially animals.
5. (transitive) To pet.

   He fussed the cat.

• Generally used with with, over, or about.

• fussbudget
• fussbutton
• fusspot
• fussy
• fuss and bother
• no muss no fuss