FUSSING Synonyms: 256 Similar and Opposite Words

fussing 1 of 2

adjective

as in complaining

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fussing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of fuss

as in screaming

to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely the eldest daughter is always fussing that she gets stuck with all the chores around the house

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as in drooling

to make an exaggerated display of affection or enthusiasm fans fussing over their favorite rock guitarist

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as in moaning

to make often peevish criticisms or objections about matters that are minor, unimportant, or irrelevant the picky eater who fusses over the arrangement of food on his plate or who won't eat the rice if it touches the salad

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as in fawning

to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior given to fussing over her father whenever she wants a favor or some ready cash

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as in worrying

to experience concern or anxiety there is no use in fussing over things that you can't control

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as in bothering

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy you shouldn't let a little thing like that fuss you

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of fussing

Adjective

No more fussing, fumbling, or making a mess of my counter. — Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2026

Verb

Similar to Egypt after its collapse earlier in the week, Switzerland exited fussing about the officiating. — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 12 July 2026 Yes, teaching by example is often a better way of handling a challenge than fussing about it. — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 17 June 2026 Ever the dedicated mother, Stacy runs to her adult daughter’s aid, fussing at her for not using a driver for her errands. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026 Your son is fussing in his car seat. — Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026 Emma looked around, confused at the adults fussing around him and too young, perhaps, to grasp the severity of the scene. — Maeva Bambuck, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026 As the migrants boarded, a man hoisted one of the passengers in the air, a fussing 8-month-old baby whose face was flushed red from the heat. — Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025 With five blades sandwiched between two moisturizing bars, this razor speeds up the entire process (no fussing around with shaving cream), nourishing dry skin and making nicks a rare occurrence. — Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025 This was the mid 1980s and tandem skydiving hadn’t been popularized yet, so his father, Roger, adjusted accordingly by stuffing carpet padding into the leg pads to stop him from fussing. — Angelina Liu, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fussing

Adjective

An energy vampire has bad body language, the complaining look on their face, the vocal complainer.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026

Definition of complaining

Verb

Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who had seven catches for 133 yards and a touchdown, was screaming at coaches and teammates on the sideline at the start of the fourth quarter.

— Joe Reedy, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026
Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who was held to seven catches for 133 yards and a touchdown, was screaming at coaches and teammates on the sideline at the start of the fourth quarter.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of screaming

Verb

Mix these finds into your work wardrobe or your off-duty ensembles—they’re versatile enough to do it all, and the festive palette is worth drooling over.

— Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 7 Oct. 2026
There was one of Melissa Gorga’s sprinkle cookies ground into the carpet, and there was Kelsey Swanson, passed out under the piano and drooling on the parquet.

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of drooling

Verb

It's been a big few months for Austin Abrams moaning and groaning his way through some of the worst situations imaginable.

— Megan McCluskey, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
For a cold moment the silence locked a grip on our table, though it was broken, at the edges, by the golf commentators moaning and harrumphing, Rory McIlroy having had a canary on a seventeenth fairway somewhere this championship Sunday.

— Kevin Barry, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of moaning

Verb

For other competitors in the accessible luxury market, Longchamp offers a valuable case study in bucking the trend of excessively fawning Gen Z content, at a time when luxury is at risk of losing its hold on youth culture.

— Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
There was fawning coverage in international news outlets, and Bette Midler even wrote an entire mandarin duck picture book.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of fawning

Verb

Ever since, plastics have become another red alert to add to our list of threats that are largely out of our control yet impossible to stop worrying about.

— Daniel Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Along with gas prices, healthcare is the biggest household expense worrying voters, polls show.

— Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026