fussing 1 of 2

fussing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of fuss
1
2
as in drooling
to make an exaggerated display of affection or enthusiasm fans fussing over their favorite rock guitarist

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
4
5
6

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
Verb
  • By the time the rock legends arrived, the black carpet was empty, aside from the herd of photographers and screaming fans.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Within seconds, protesters swarmed among the agents, screaming and holding their cellphones aloft.
    Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Toward the end of the film, that kid is grown up and stuck in an incestuous relationship with his mother, while a nearly incapacitated Dau sits drooling nearby.
    Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Stuff like Caitlin Clark getting mugged with no foul being called, or Sophie Cunningham pointing at some obnoxious player, or ESPN drooling over a coach wearing a pro-trans shirt.
    Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Hall wrote in his report that Hamilton lay down in the backseat of the police vehicle, moaning and not responding, prompting first responders to give him Narcan.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Video released by the Milwaukie Police Department shows Descamps sprawled in a hospital bed, his body limp, moaning and drooling, while medical staff stood nearby.
    Brian Mann, NPR, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • His stature will prevent draftniks from fawning over him, and even opponents aren’t immune to underestimating him in person.
    Antonio Morales, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Naturally, the Venice Film Festival was swiftly fawning over George Clooney on Wednesday, as the Oscar-winning star arrived (via boat, of course) to pick up his Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement Award.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • That’s almost eight months of talking, worrying and dreaming about the Bears.
    Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The news, which prompted Treasury yields to fall, came after days of headlines worrying about a global sell-off in government bonds.
    Matt Peterson,Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The list of maladies bothering Ohtani is lengthy, and grew this week.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Ohtani reported that the area from his biceps to his neck was bothering him Wednesday night, Roberts said.
    Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The death toll includes at least 19 children, 21 non-protesting civilians, and 165 in government or security forces.
    The Hill, The Hill, 17 Jan. 2026
  • Among the dead were 13 children and 14 non-protesting civilians, HRANA said.
    ABC News, ABC News, 15 Jan. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Fussing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fussing. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster