1
a
: needless bustle or excitement
They got down to business without any fuss.
b
: a show of flattering attention
made a big fuss over his favorite niece
2
fussed; fussing; fusses
1
a
: to create or be in a state of restless activity
especially
: to shower flattering attentions
fussing over the grandchildren
b
: to pay close or undue attention to small details
fussed with her hair
fusser
noun
Synonyms
Examples of fuss in a Sentence
Noun
They got down to business without any fuss.
What is all the fuss about?
Her new novel has caused quite a fuss.
I don't want to make a fuss, but this soup is cold.
Verb
She'll fuss the whole time we're gone.
I told him not to fuss.
The baby fussed all day.
Stop fussing and get to work!
He's fussing about his new assignment.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nico Grant, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
In many cases, older solutions that have served an organization well require little fuss and simply do the job.
—Eric Olden, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Zero fuss, zero muss and one terrific choice by the Wildcats.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024
These last-minute Easter desserts come together with a minimum of time and fuss and will end your meal on a sweet note—no raiding the kids' Easter baskets necessary.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 12 Feb. 2024
This brings us to Ronna McDaniel — about whom there’s a fuss.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 28 Mar. 2024
All the joy of a chocolate cake without all the fuss?
—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 14 Mar. 2024
Remember all the fuss in the ’60s about subliminal advertising?
—David Gaz, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
At first, Barbara Guggenheim wasn’t going to make a fuss about her wedding: Guggenheim, 77, married her now husband Alan Patricof, 89, in an intimate ceremony at her Park Avenue apartment in Manhattan in December of 2023.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2024
Kegan Mooney, PCMAG, 21 Mar. 2024
But Yeung has a lot of other social statements to broach in his careful, polite way, and so, soon after, Angie is fussing in the kitchen and calls out a question to Pat, who doesn’t answer.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 25 Feb. 2024
The word means to fuss or waste time in Yiddish, though dining at this Jewish deli is always time well spent.
—Usa Today Network, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2024
An old hen, with her little chickens, beat a quick retreat for the coop and she was all fussed up about being caught away from home by the darkness.
—Bill Bowden, arkansasonline.com, 18 Feb. 2024
Need to put a filling dinner on the table, but don't have a lot of time to fuss?
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2023
Set an Example In social gatherings, plenty of adults still fuss about the colors of bubbles.
—Brian X. Chen, New York Times, 29 Nov. 2023
Koufax lifted his cap, ran his fingers through his black hair, then pulled the cap back down, fussing at the bill.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2023
The convenience of having a place to slip your MetroCard or smaller essentials without having to fuss around in the main space?
—Sophie Dweck, Town & Country, 26 Aug. 2023
Noun
So if Google made a fuss about OpenAI, there might be a public outcry against its own methods, the people said.
—Nico Grant, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
In many cases, older solutions that have served an organization well require little fuss and simply do the job.
—Eric Olden, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Zero fuss, zero muss and one terrific choice by the Wildcats.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024
These last-minute Easter desserts come together with a minimum of time and fuss and will end your meal on a sweet note—no raiding the kids' Easter baskets necessary.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 12 Feb. 2024
This brings us to Ronna McDaniel — about whom there’s a fuss.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 28 Mar. 2024
All the joy of a chocolate cake without all the fuss?
—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 14 Mar. 2024
Remember all the fuss in the ’60s about subliminal advertising?
—David Gaz, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
At first, Barbara Guggenheim wasn’t going to make a fuss about her wedding: Guggenheim, 77, married her now husband Alan Patricof, 89, in an intimate ceremony at her Park Avenue apartment in Manhattan in December of 2023.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2024
Verb
If you're not fussed whether your wireless earbuds are particularly waterproof, but are looking for a pair that offer good noise cancellation for the price, then our experts recommend the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2.
—Kegan Mooney, PCMAG, 21 Mar. 2024
But Yeung has a lot of other social statements to broach in his careful, polite way, and so, soon after, Angie is fussing in the kitchen and calls out a question to Pat, who doesn’t answer.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 25 Feb. 2024
The word means to fuss or waste time in Yiddish, though dining at this Jewish deli is always time well spent.
—Usa Today Network, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2024
An old hen, with her little chickens, beat a quick retreat for the coop and she was all fussed up about being caught away from home by the darkness.
—Bill Bowden, arkansasonline.com, 18 Feb. 2024
Need to put a filling dinner on the table, but don't have a lot of time to fuss?
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2023
Set an Example In social gatherings, plenty of adults still fuss about the colors of bubbles.
—Brian X. Chen, New York Times, 29 Nov. 2023
Koufax lifted his cap, ran his fingers through his black hair, then pulled the cap back down, fussing at the bill.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2023
The convenience of having a place to slip your MetroCard or smaller essentials without having to fuss around in the main space?
—Sophie Dweck, Town & Country, 26 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fuss.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near fuss
Cite this Entry
“Fuss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fuss. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fuss
1 of 2 noun1
: unnecessary activity or excitement often over something unimportant
2
3
: a great show of interest
made a fuss over the baby
fuss
2 of 2 verb
: to make a fuss
fusser
noun
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