Fusses

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈfʌsɪz/

Definitions

1. To show excessive or unnecessary worry or concern about something ; to make a fuss by complaining or causing a minor disturbance
2. Expressing needless anxiety or troubling oneself excessively ; drawing attention by causing agitation or complaining loudly
3. Behaving with needless bother or worry ; causing annoyance or complaint by making an issue out of something small

Etymology: "Fusses" is simply the plural of "fuss," so its story is the story of that noun. The origin of "fuss" is unknown, and etymologists have offered only a few guesses. One proposal links it to Danish "fjas," meaning nonsense, which in turn may have come from Middle Low German, where "faseln" meant to maunder or talk nonsense. A related English word, "fouse," meant to hurry, rush, or tumble about in disorder, and some connect the two. None of these links is certain, so the word's ancestry remains a genuine mystery. What is clear is the sense. The noun moved from empty chatter toward the bustle of needless activity, and then toward the agitated worry the word now describes. A fuss is therefore less a matter of real trouble than of commotion around something that may not deserve it.

Synonyms: commotions, troubles, bothers

Antonyms: calm, peace, serenity