1
: heightened fuss or concern : to-do
much ado about the need for reform
2
: time-wasting bother over trivial details
wrote the paper without further ado
3
: trouble, difficulty
The journey itself is not described; our heroes disembark without ado at Philadelphia.—
Anthony Lane
Anthony LaneSynonyms
- alarums and excursions
- ballyhoo
- blather
- bluster
- bobbery
- bother
- bustle
- clatter
- clutter [chiefly dialect]
- coil
- commotion
- corroboree [Australian]
- disturbance
- do [chiefly dialect]
- foofaraw
- fun
- furor
- furore
- fuss
- helter-skelter
- hoo-ha
- hoo-hah
- hoopla
- hubble-bubble
- hubbub
- hullabaloo
- hurly
- hurly-burly
- hurricane
- hurry
- hurry-scurry
- hurry-skurry
- kerfuffle [chiefly British]
- moil
- pandemonium
- pother
- row
- ruckus
- ruction
- rumpus
- shindy
- splore [Scottish]
- squall
- stew
- stir
- storm
- to-do
- tumult
- turmoil
- uproar
- welter
- whirl
- williwaw
- zoo
Examples of ado in a Sentence
a bride-to-be caught up in the usual prenuptial ado
Recent Examples on the Web
Much ado has been made of Kate Middleton’s ring on that finger as of late — but what about Prince William’s wedding band (or lack thereof)?
—Rachel Burchfield, People.com, 16 Oct. 2024
Much ado has been made about Destiny 2’s often record-low playercounts based on Steam data over the last few months since The Final Shape (sometimes by me, admittedly).
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
So, without any further ado: Freshest Find: Mortimer feat.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 6 Sep. 2024
Since the film’s release and press tour, much ado has been made of the potential discord between cast members Baldoni, Lively, Sklenar and Jenny Slate, with the rumor mill swirling about creative disagreements and on-set strife.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ado 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Rachel Burchfield, People.com, 16 Oct. 2024
Much ado has been made about Destiny 2’s often record-low playercounts based on Steam data over the last few months since The Final Shape (sometimes by me, admittedly).
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
So, without any further ado: Freshest Find: Mortimer feat.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 6 Sep. 2024
Since the film’s release and press tour, much ado has been made of the potential discord between cast members Baldoni, Lively, Sklenar and Jenny Slate, with the rumor mill swirling about creative disagreements and on-set strife.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ado
Articles Related to ado
Dictionary Entries Near ado
Cite this Entry
“Ado.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ado. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ado
noun
: fuss entry 1 sense 1, trouble
much ado about nothing
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share