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

“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

In a letter to members of Congress, distributed by the Supreme Court and reported on by CNN, Alito argued that the controversy was much ado about nothing.

From Salon

Without further ado, here are the other biggest takeaways of this week's episode.

From Salon

Without further ado, here are five of Giada's absolute best salads.

From Salon