ado

[ uh-doo ]

noun

1. busy activity or bustle; fuss; bother:

   Much more ado has been made over this allegation than the facts warrant.

   Synonyms: uproar, turmoil, noise, hubbub, excitement, confusion, commotion, to-do, flurry

   Antonyms: tranquility, peace, calm

ado

¹

/ əˈduː /

noun

1. bustling activity; fuss; bother; delay (esp in the phrases without more ado, with much ado )

ADO

²

abbreviation for

1. accumulated day off

Word History and Origins

Origin of ado¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English (north) at do, a phrase equivalent to at “to” (from Old Norse, which used at with the infinitive) + do do ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of ado¹

C14: from the phrase at do a to-do, from Old Norse at to (marking the infinitive) + do ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. without further ado, without additional preamble, preliminaries, or other delay:

   Well, without further ado, let's get down to the details of our master plan.

Synonym Study

Ado, to-do, commotion, stir, tumult suggest a great deal of fuss and noise. Ado implies a confused bustle of activity, a considerable emotional upset, and a great deal of talking: Much Ado About Nothing. To-do, now more commonly used, may mean merely excitement and noise and may be pleasant or unpleasant: a great to-do over a movie star. Commotion suggests a noisy confusion and babble: commotion at the scene of an accident. Stir suggests excitement and noise, with a hint of emotional cause: The report was followed by a tremendous stir in the city. Tumult suggests disorder with noise and violence: a tumult as the mob stormed the Bastille.

Example Sentences

Thus, without further ado, a refresher on just some of the assertions that were made in 2020 and could very well be mimicked if Kamala Harris breaks the 270 electoral-vote mark at some point in the next week.

From Salon

“We suspect this is much ado about nothing,” he wrote in a note to clients.

From Los Angeles Times

Without further ado, let’s get into the nitty-gritty.

From Salon

The star couple’s onstage chemistry was palpable in “Hay Fever” and “Much Ado About Nothing,” which were big sellers at the box office.

From Los Angeles Times

"The army is known for not wanting to wash its dirty linen in public," Hadiza Ado, founder of Women and Children Initiative, told the BBC.

From BBC