kerfuffle
noun
J. K. RowlingBelinda Luscombe
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The Evolution of Kerfuffle
Fuffle is an old Scottish verb that means “to muss” or “to throw into disarray”—in other words, to (literally) ruffle someone’s (figurative) feathers. The addition of car-, possibly from a Scottish Gaelic word meaning “wrong” or “awkward,” didn’t change its meaning much. In the 19th century carfuffle, with its variant curfuffle, became a noun, which in the 20th century was embraced by a broader population of English speakers and standardized to kerfuffle, referring to a more figurative feather-ruffling. There is some kerfuffle among language historians over how the altered spelling came to be favored. One theory holds that it might have been influenced by onomatopoeic words like kerplunk that imitate the sound of a falling object hitting a surface.
Examples of kerfuffle in a Sentence
Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 11 July 2025
That bubbled up during last month’s kerfuffle at Kauffman Stadium.
—Kansas City Star, 7 July 2025
In the end, the TikTok kerfuffle served as a timely, albeit accidental, reminder.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
One recent kerfuffle, however, may take Malle out of the running: Less than weeks ago, Wintour drew criticism when 36-year-old Mark Guiducci was announced as the new editor of Vanity Fair, replacing Radhika Jones, who exited in April.
—Laurie Brookins, HollywoodReporter, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for kerfuffle
Cite this Entry
“Kerfuffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kerfuffle. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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