to kick up a fuss
2
6.4
- idiom
- Informal
:
hacer un escándalo
- We kicked up a fuss and demanded he be put back on his medication, and eventually they agreed about 20 hours later.
While you do that, Nail will kick up a fuss in the villa.
- While you do that, Nail will kick up a fuss in the villa.
Examples
-
The customers started to kick up a fuss when their orders were delayed.
-
Now, I don't want to kick up a fuss.
-
Oh, he's just trying to kick up a fuss.
-
I know you'd kick up a fuss.
-
Somehow kicking up a fuss just doesn't seem worth the trouble this time.
-
Now people recently kicked up a fuss when you know the Zone said we may have to introduce that functionality may for certain one off events.
-
Did he go around distracted, in a daze, or, when things bothered him, kick up a fuss?
Blog text (16) -
Sure are kicking up a fuss about Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
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If you kick up a fuss about the small issue, you will only annoy everyone.
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Don't kick up a fuss over something so trivial; it's not worth the trouble.
Synonyms
38
5.6
To complain repeatedly about small things
22
3.0
Complain loudly about something small
15
7.9
Behave loudly and angrily to cause trouble
11
4.2
To cause trouble or a loud fuss
8
7.4
To complain about small unimportant things
7
6.0
To complain loudly in a way that annoys other people
4
6.8
Complain loudly in public to get attention
2
7.4
To complain loudly and make people notice the problem
1
9.0
To speak or write very angrily against something to show strong criticism
Act nervously and make a fuss about something small
To argue loudly about small unimportant things
Get very angry or upset about small things
Antonyms
How Much
4
5.8
- Informal
45
4.9
2
7.4
- Informal
2
6.4
∞
1.0
- Formal
7
3.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to complain loudly or make a disturbance' is directly derivable from combining 'kick up' (to raise or cause) with 'a fuss' (a commotion or unnecessary complaint). This make/raise + noun composition is common and cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would likely infer the overall meaning.
Etymology
Kick up a fuss may come from the image of someone literally kicking up dust to make a fuss, a noisy, messy scene. So it now means 'to complain loudly or make a disturbance', often over something small.