Meaning of Idiom ‘Much Ado About Nothing’
Much ado about nothing refers to excessive excitement or fuss about something that is of little importance. 1Bengelsdorf, Peter. Idioms in the News – 1,000 Phrases, Real Examples. N.p.: Amz Digital Services, 2012.,2Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
Examples Of Use
“News of the president’s injury sent the nation into a frenzy. It turned out to be much ado about nothing.”
“The company assured its customers the recall of its products was much ado about nothing.”
Origin
Much ado has been used to refer to a large commotion or excitement since the early part of the 1500’s. However, Shakespeare popularized the current idiom by using it as the title of a comedy first performed in 1612. 3Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
For more, see the only other surviving idiom which uses the word ado, without further ado.
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Sources
| 1. | ↲ | Bengelsdorf, Peter. Idioms in the News – 1,000 Phrases, Real Examples. N.p.: Amz Digital Services, 2012. |
| 2, 3. | ↲ | Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013. |