fuss
/fʌs/noun, verb
fuss is spelled F-U-S-S: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 4.2 times per million words in written English, the 12,578th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, fuss means “Excessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of fuss is fusses.
How many letters and syllables are in fuss?
| Letters | 4: F-U-S-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 4.2 times per million words; the 12,578th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is fuss?
Fuss appears 4.2 times per million words in written English, the 12,578th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce fuss?
- US /fʌs/
- /fʊs/
Fuss has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-fuss.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with fuss?
6 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as fuss from its last stressed vowel (/ʌs/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of fuss
- fusses plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- fussing participle, present
- fussed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does fuss mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Excessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something.
They made a big fuss about the wedding plans.
- 2
A complaint or noise; a scene.
If you make enough of a fuss about the problem, maybe they'll fix it for you.
- 3
An exhibition of affection or admiration.
They made a great fuss over the new baby.
verb
- 1
To be very worried or excited about something, often too much.
His grandmother will never quit fussing over his vegetarianism.
- 2
To fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust
Quit fussing with your hair. It looks fine.
- 3
To disturb (a person)
- 4
USTo cry or be ill-humoured.
- 5
To show affection for, especially animals.
- 6
To pet.
He fussed the cat.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Fuss in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | agitation , histoires , s’agiter, s’empresser , tracasser |
| German | Lärm, Wirbel, Aufstand, Gehabe, Trubel , fummeln |
| Portuguese | rebuliço, confusão, barulho , reclamação, bagunça |
| Spanish | fandango, jaleo, escándalo, quilombo, aspaviento, alharaca |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does fuss come from?
Of unknown origin. Perhaps from Danish fjas (“nonsense”), from Middle Low German (compare German faseln (“to maunder, talk nonsense”)). Compare also fouse (“to hasten, rush, tumble, disarrange”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).