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

That screaming maximum seems like something from a motor world made increasingly distant by turbochargers, hybrid systems and electric motors.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 Aug. 2026
Imagine for a minute a Trojans defense with Luke Wafle, the nation’s top prospect in 2026, screaming off the edge a la the Bosa Bros at Ohio State.

— Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of screaming

Verb

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
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

Definition of drooling

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

Definition of moaning

Verb

But in recent years, Romo has been criticized for his preparation, for cutting off Nantz mid-sentence, for fawning over Josh Allen and other quarterbacks and for seeming pollyannish at times.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026
That’s a potentially lucrative space as Europe ramps up military spending, but not one engineered for fawning praise from the White House.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of fawning

Verb

This was several shades darker, worrying about economic upheaval, social unrest, cyberattacks, bioterrorism—and most important, the failure of experts and governments to take these threats seriously enough.

— Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026
Celeste begins worrying about her mother-in-law after her credit cards are declined and her outfits are increasingly out of place, but things begin to click when Mary-Louise gives Max, Josh and Ziggy expensive cars.

— Matt Minton, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026