ado

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/əˈduː/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/əˈdu/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(ə do̅o̅)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
a•do /əˈdu/USA pronunciation   n. [uncountable]
  1. delaying activity:Without further ado, I now present our guest.
  2. fuss;
    bustle;
    to-do:much ado about party plans.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
a•do  (ə do̅o̅),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. busy activity;
    bustle;
    fuss.
  • Old Norse, which used at with the infinitive) + do do1
  • Middle English (north) at do, a phrase equivalent. to at to (1250–1300
    flurry; confusion, upset, excitement; hubbub, noise, turmoil. 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.
    calm, peace, tranquillity.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
ado / əˈduː/
  1. bustling activity; fuss; bother; delay (esp in the phrases without more ado, with much ado)
Etymology: 14th Century: from the phrase at do a to-do, from Old Norse at to (marking the infinitive) + do1
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
ADO
  1. accumulated day off
'ado' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

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