Fuss vs Trouble - What's the difference?
fuss | trouble |
Excessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something.
* (Thomas Carlyle) (1795-1881)
*{{quote-book, year=1935, author=
, title=Death on the Centre Court, chapter=1
, passage=“Anthea hasn't a notion in her head but to vamp a lot of silly mugwumps. She's set her heart on that tennis bloke
# A complaint or noise.
# An exhibition of affection or admiration.
One who is unduly anxious about trifles.
* (1837-1920)
To be very worried or excited about something, often too much.
To fiddle; fidget; wiggle, or adjust; to worry something
(especially of babies) To cry or be ill-humoured.
To show affection for, especially animals.
To pet.
A distressful or dangerous situation.
A difficulty, problem, condition, or action contributing to such a situation.
* (John Milton)
* (William Shakespeare)
A violent occurrence or event.
* , chapter=7
, title= Efforts taken or expended, typically beyond the normal required.
* Bryant
*1881 , :
*:Indeed, by the report of our elders, this nervous preparation for old age is only trouble thrown away.
A malfunction.
Liability to punishment; conflict with authority.
(mining) A fault or interruption in a stratum.
To disturb, stir up, agitate (a medium, especially water).
* Bible, John v. 4
* Milton
To mentally distress; to cause (someone) to be anxious or perplexed.
* Bible, John xii. 27
* Shakespeare
* John Locke
In weaker sense: to bother; to annoy, pester.
To take pains to do something.
* 1946 , (Bertrand Russell), History of Western Philosophy , I.26:
As an adjective fuss
is willing.As a verb trouble is
.fuss
English
Noun
(es)- zealously, assiduously, and with a minimum of fuss or noise
George Goodchild
- I am a fuss and I don't deny it.
Verb
(es)- His grandmother will never quit fussing over his vegetarianism.
- Quit fussing with your hair. It looks fine.
Usage notes
* Generally used with with, over, or about.Verb
(head)- He fussed the cat.
Derived terms
* fussy * fuss and bother * no muss no fussReferences
trouble
English
Noun
(en noun)- Lest the fiend some new trouble raise.
- Foul whisperings are abroad; unnatural deeds / Do breed unnatural troubles .
Mr. Pratt's Patients, passage=“I don't know how you and the ‘head,’ as you call him, will get on, but I do know that if you call my duds a ‘livery’ again there'll be trouble . It's bad enough to go around togged out like a life saver on a drill day, but I can stand that 'cause I'm paid for it. What I won't stand is to have them togs called a livery. […]”}}
- She never took the trouble to close them.
Usage notes
* Verbs often used with "trouble": make, spell, stir up, ask for, etc.Synonyms
* See alsoDerived terms
* ask for trouble * distrouble * double trouble * engine trouble * get into trouble * in trouble * teething troubles * trouble and strife * troubled * trouble-free * trouble in paradise * troublemaker/trouble maker * troubler * The Troubles * troubleshoot * troubleshooter * troubleshooting * troublesome * trouble spotSee also
* for uses and meaning of trouble collocated with these words.Verb
(troubl)- An angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water.
- God looking forth will trouble all his host.
- Now is my soul troubled .
- Take the boy to you; he so troubles me / 'Tis past enduring.
- Never trouble yourself about those faults which age will cure.
- Question 3 in the test is troubling me.
- I will not trouble you to deliver the letter.
- Why trouble about the future? It is wholly uncertain.