Idioms

much ado about nothing

This page is about the idiom much ado about nothing

Meaning

If you say something is much ado about nothing, you think it's an overreaction to something that shouldn't have caused so much trouble.

For example

  • Some people make a big fuss about which table they get in a restaurant, but as far as I can see it's much ado about nothing as long as the food's the same.

  • All this nonsense about status and "losing face" is much ado about nothing as far as I'm concerned.

Origin: "Much Ado about Nothing" is the title of a well-known play by William Shakespeare, and as a result the phrase has survived into modern English in its original form.

Quick Quiz

The fight was much ado about nothing. It all started because a guy

a. shot someone in the leg

b. stepped on someone's foot

c. beat up someone's brother
a) shot someone in the leg b) stepped on someone's foot c) beat up someone's brother

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Common English Idioms

Contributor: Matt Errey