"kerfuffle" meaning in English

See kerfuffle in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /kəˈfʌfəl/ [Received-Pronunciation], /kɚˈfʌfəl/ [US] Audio: en-us-kerfuffle.ogg , en-au-kerfuffle.ogg Forms: kerfuffles [plural]
Rhymes: -ʌfəl Etymology: Probably from Scots curfuffle, equivalent to ker- + fuffle, or related to Irish cíor thuathail (“confusion, bewilderment”). Similar to modern Welsh cythrwfl (“uproar, trouble, agitation”) Etymology templates: {{der|en|sco|curfuffle}} Scots curfuffle, {{prefix|en|ker|fuffle}} ker- + fuffle, {{cog|ga|cíor thuathail|t=confusion, bewilderment}} Irish cíor thuathail (“confusion, bewilderment”), {{cog|cy|cythrwfl||uproar, trouble, agitation}} Welsh cythrwfl (“uproar, trouble, agitation”) Head templates: {{en-noun}} kerfuffle (plural kerfuffles)
  1. (chiefly Commonwealth, informal) A disorderly outburst, disturbance, commotion, or tumult. [from 19th c.] Tags: Commonwealth, informal Synonyms: brouhaha, donnybrook, fracas, hubbub, hullabaloo, mess, racket Derived forms: kerfluff, kerfuffly Translations (disorderly outburst): суматоха (sumatoha) [feminine] (Bulgarian), aldarull [masculine] (Catalan), commoció [feminine] (Catalan), 混亂 (Chinese Mandarin), 混乱 (hùnluàn) (Chinese Mandarin), 動亂 (Chinese Mandarin), 动乱 (dòngluàn) (Chinese Mandarin), 鬧騰 (Chinese Mandarin), 闹腾 (nàoteng) (Chinese Mandarin), 吵鬧 (Chinese Mandarin), 吵闹 (chǎonào) (Chinese Mandarin), povyk [masculine] (Czech), rámus [masculine] (Czech), mela [feminine] (Czech), tahanice [feminine] (Czech), tumult (Dutch), ófriður [masculine] (Faroese), rok [neuter] (Faroese), hälinä (Finnish), hässäkkä (Finnish), désordre [masculine] (French), tumulte [masculine] (French), brouhaha [masculine] (French), Wirbel [masculine] (German), Aufruhr [masculine] (German), Theater [neuter] (German), Durcheinander [neuter] (German), bafafá [masculine] (Portuguese), distúrbio [masculine] (Portuguese), tumulto [masculine] (Portuguese), сумато́ха (sumatóxa) [feminine] (Russian), disturbio (Spanish), descalzaperros [masculine] (Spanish), ståhej [neuter] (Swedish), uppståndelse [common-gender] (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-kerfuffle-en-noun-m82sllvN Categories (other): Commonwealth English, English entries with incorrect language header, English terms prefixed with ker-, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Catalan translations, Terms with Czech translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Faroese translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Swedish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 56 44 Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with ker-: 52 48 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 72 28 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 53 47 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 59 41 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 69 31 Disambiguation of Terms with Catalan translations: 66 34 Disambiguation of Terms with Czech translations: 67 33 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 66 34 Disambiguation of Terms with Faroese translations: 63 37 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 66 34 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 70 30 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 71 29 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 60 40 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 63 37 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 72 28 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 67 33 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 64 36
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: cufuffle, cuffuffle, curfuffle, gefuffle, kafuffle, kerfluff, kerfluffle, kurfuffle, fuffle (alt: by apheresis)

Verb

IPA: /kəˈfʌfəl/ [Received-Pronunciation], /kɚˈfʌfəl/ [US] Audio: en-us-kerfuffle.ogg , en-au-kerfuffle.ogg Forms: kerfuffles [present, singular, third-person], kerfuffling [participle, present], kerfuffled [participle, past], kerfuffled [past]
Rhymes: -ʌfəl Etymology: Probably from Scots curfuffle, equivalent to ker- + fuffle, or related to Irish cíor thuathail (“confusion, bewilderment”). Similar to modern Welsh cythrwfl (“uproar, trouble, agitation”) Etymology templates: {{der|en|sco|curfuffle}} Scots curfuffle, {{prefix|en|ker|fuffle}} ker- + fuffle, {{cog|ga|cíor thuathail|t=confusion, bewilderment}} Irish cíor thuathail (“confusion, bewilderment”), {{cog|cy|cythrwfl||uproar, trouble, agitation}} Welsh cythrwfl (“uproar, trouble, agitation”) Head templates: {{en-verb}} kerfuffle (third-person singular simple present kerfuffles, present participle kerfuffling, simple past and past participle kerfuffled)
  1. (chiefly Ireland, UK, Commonwealth, informal) To make a disorderly outburst or commotion. Tags: Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, informal
    Sense id: en-kerfuffle-en-verb-~8dpAAfB Categories (other): British English, Commonwealth English, Irish English, English terms prefixed with ker-, Pages with 1 entry Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with ker-: 52 48 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 53 47
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: cufuffle, cuffuffle, curfuffle, gefuffle, kafuffle, kerfluff, kerfluffle, kurfuffle, fuffle (alt: by apheresis)

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sco",
        "3": "curfuffle"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots curfuffle",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ker",
        "3": "fuffle"
      },
      "expansion": "ker- + fuffle",
      "name": "prefix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ga",
        "2": "cíor thuathail",
        "t": "confusion, bewilderment"
      },
      "expansion": "Irish cíor thuathail (“confusion, bewilderment”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "cy",
        "2": "cythrwfl",
        "3": "",
        "4": "uproar, trouble, agitation"
      },
      "expansion": "Welsh cythrwfl (“uproar, trouble, agitation”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Probably from Scots curfuffle, equivalent to ker- + fuffle, or related to Irish cíor thuathail (“confusion, bewilderment”). Similar to modern Welsh cythrwfl (“uproar, trouble, agitation”)",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "kerfuffles",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "kerfuffle (plural kerfuffles)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Commonwealth English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "56 44",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "52 48",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with ker-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "72 28",
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          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "53 47",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "59 41",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "69 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "66 34",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Catalan translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "67 33",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Czech translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "66 34",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "63 37",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Faroese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "66 34",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "70 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "71 29",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "60 40",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "63 37",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "72 28",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "67 33",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "64 36",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "word": "kerfluff"
        },
        {
          "word": "kerfuffly"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2009 May 22, Stuart Heritage, “Jon & Kate Latest: People You Don’t Know Do Crap You Don’t Care About”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):",
          "text": "You know all this kerfuffle about Jordan and Peter Andre, and how you don’t know if they’re really splitting up or it’s just an act[…]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011 June 6, Mark Memmott, “Sarah Palin's Had Her Say; Now Let's Hear From Paul Revere”, in The Two-Way, National Public Radio:",
          "text": "There's been a bit of a kerfuffle the past couple days over something Sarah Palin said about Paul Revere.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 May 28, Nadia Asparouhova, “Remembering GitHub's Office, a Monument to Tech Culture”, in Wired, →ISSN:",
          "text": "The debate seemed innocuous—a minor kerfuffle, but nothing that couldn’t be resolved and moved on from.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A disorderly outburst, disturbance, commotion, or tumult."
      ],
      "id": "en-kerfuffle-en-noun-m82sllvN",
      "links": [
        [
          "disorderly",
          "disorderly"
        ],
        [
          "outburst",
          "outburst"
        ],
        [
          "disturbance",
          "disturbance"
        ],
        [
          "commotion",
          "commotion"
        ],
        [
          "tumult",
          "tumult"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly Commonwealth, informal) A disorderly outburst, disturbance, commotion, or tumult. [from 19th c.]"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "brouhaha"
        },
        {
          "word": "donnybrook"
        },
        {
          "word": "fracas"
        },
        {
          "word": "hubbub"
        },
        {
          "word": "hullabaloo"
        },
        {
          "word": "mess"
        },
        {
          "word": "racket"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Commonwealth",
        "informal"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "sumatoha",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "суматоха"
        },
        {
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "aldarull"
        },
        {
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "commoció"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "word": "混亂"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "hùnluàn",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "word": "混乱"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "word": "動亂"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "dòngluàn",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "word": "动乱"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "word": "鬧騰"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "nàoteng",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "word": "闹腾"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "word": "吵鬧"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "chǎonào",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "word": "吵闹"
        },
        {
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "povyk"
        },
        {
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "rámus"
        },
        {
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "mela"
        },
        {
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "tahanice"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "word": "tumult"
        },
        {
          "code": "fo",
          "lang": "Faroese",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ófriður"
        },
        {
          "code": "fo",
          "lang": "Faroese",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "rok"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "word": "hälinä"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "word": "hässäkkä"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "désordre"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "tumulte"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "brouhaha"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Wirbel"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Aufruhr"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Theater"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Durcheinander"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "bafafá"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "distúrbio"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "tumulto"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "sumatóxa",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "сумато́ха"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "word": "disturbio"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "descalzaperros"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "ståhej"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "disorderly outburst",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "uppståndelse"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kəˈfʌfəl/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/kɚˈfʌfəl/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-kerfuffle.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/f3/En-us-kerfuffle.ogg/En-us-kerfuffle.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/En-us-kerfuffle.ogg"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-au-kerfuffle.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/4/46/En-au-kerfuffle.ogg/En-au-kerfuffle.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/En-au-kerfuffle.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʌfəl"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "cufuffle"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "cuffuffle"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "curfuffle"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "gefuffle"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "kafuffle"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "kerfluff"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "kerfluffle"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "kurfuffle"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "alt": "by apheresis",
      "word": "fuffle"
    }
  ],
  "word": "kerfuffle"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sco",
        "3": "curfuffle"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots curfuffle",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ker",
        "3": "fuffle"
      },
      "expansion": "ker- + fuffle",
      "name": "prefix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ga",
        "2": "cíor thuathail",
        "t": "confusion, bewilderment"
      },
      "expansion": "Irish cíor thuathail (“confusion, bewilderment”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "cy",
        "2": "cythrwfl",
        "3": "",
        "4": "uproar, trouble, agitation"
      },
      "expansion": "Welsh cythrwfl (“uproar, trouble, agitation”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Probably from Scots curfuffle, equivalent to ker- + fuffle, or related to Irish cíor thuathail (“confusion, bewilderment”). Similar to modern Welsh cythrwfl (“uproar, trouble, agitation”)",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "kerfuffles",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kerfuffling",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kerfuffled",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kerfuffled",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "kerfuffle (third-person singular simple present kerfuffles, present participle kerfuffling, simple past and past participle kerfuffled)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "British English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Commonwealth English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Irish English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "52 48",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with ker-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "53 47",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make a disorderly outburst or commotion."
      ],
      "id": "en-kerfuffle-en-verb-~8dpAAfB",
      "links": [
        [
          "disorderly",
          "disorderly"
        ],
        [
          "outburst",
          "outburst"
        ],
        [
          "commotion",
          "commotion"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly Ireland, UK, Commonwealth, informal) To make a disorderly outburst or commotion."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Commonwealth",
        "Ireland",
        "UK",
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kəˈfʌfəl/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/kɚˈfʌfəl/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-kerfuffle.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/f3/En-us-kerfuffle.ogg/En-us-kerfuffle.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/En-us-kerfuffle.ogg"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-au-kerfuffle.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/4/46/En-au-kerfuffle.ogg/En-au-kerfuffle.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/En-au-kerfuffle.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʌfəl"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "cufuffle"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "cuffuffle"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "curfuffle"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "gefuffle"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "kafuffle"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "kerfluff"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "kerfluffle"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "kurfuffle"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "alt": "by apheresis",
      "word": "fuffle"
    }
  ],
  "word": "kerfuffle"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Scots",
    "English terms prefixed with ker-",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ʌfəl",
    "Rhymes:English/ʌfəl/3 syllables",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Catalan translations",
    "Terms with Czech translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Faroese translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Mandarin translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "kerfluff"
    },
    {
      "word": "kerfuffly"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sco",
        "3": "curfuffle"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots curfuffle",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ker",
        "3": "fuffle"
      },
      "expansion": "ker- + fuffle",
      "name": "prefix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ga",
        "2": "cíor thuathail",
        "t": "confusion, bewilderment"
      },
      "expansion": "Irish cíor thuathail (“confusion, bewilderment”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "cy",
        "2": "cythrwfl",
        "3": "",
        "4": "uproar, trouble, agitation"
      },
      "expansion": "Welsh cythrwfl (“uproar, trouble, agitation”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Probably from Scots curfuffle, equivalent to ker- + fuffle, or related to Irish cíor thuathail (“confusion, bewilderment”). Similar to modern Welsh cythrwfl (“uproar, trouble, agitation”)",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "kerfuffles",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "kerfuffle (plural kerfuffles)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Commonwealth English",
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2009 May 22, Stuart Heritage, “Jon & Kate Latest: People You Don’t Know Do Crap You Don’t Care About”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):",
          "text": "You know all this kerfuffle about Jordan and Peter Andre, and how you don’t know if they’re really splitting up or it’s just an act[…]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011 June 6, Mark Memmott, “Sarah Palin's Had Her Say; Now Let's Hear From Paul Revere”, in The Two-Way, National Public Radio:",
          "text": "There's been a bit of a kerfuffle the past couple days over something Sarah Palin said about Paul Revere.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 May 28, Nadia Asparouhova, “Remembering GitHub's Office, a Monument to Tech Culture”, in Wired, →ISSN:",
          "text": "The debate seemed innocuous—a minor kerfuffle, but nothing that couldn’t be resolved and moved on from.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A disorderly outburst, disturbance, commotion, or tumult."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "disorderly",
          "disorderly"
        ],
        [
          "outburst",
          "outburst"
        ],
        [
          "disturbance",
          "disturbance"
        ],
        [
          "commotion",
          "commotion"
        ],
        [
          "tumult",
          "tumult"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly Commonwealth, informal) A disorderly outburst, disturbance, commotion, or tumult. [from 19th c.]"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "brouhaha"
        },
        {
          "word": "donnybrook"
        },
        {
          "word": "fracas"
        },
        {
          "word": "hubbub"
        },
        {
          "word": "hullabaloo"
        },
        {
          "word": "mess"
        },
        {
          "word": "racket"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Commonwealth",
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kəˈfʌfəl/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/kɚˈfʌfəl/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-kerfuffle.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/f3/En-us-kerfuffle.ogg/En-us-kerfuffle.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/En-us-kerfuffle.ogg"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-au-kerfuffle.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/4/46/En-au-kerfuffle.ogg/En-au-kerfuffle.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/En-au-kerfuffle.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʌfəl"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "cufuffle"
    },
    {
      "word": "cuffuffle"
    },
    {
      "word": "curfuffle"
    },
    {
      "word": "gefuffle"
    },
    {
      "word": "kafuffle"
    },
    {
      "word": "kerfluff"
    },
    {
      "word": "kerfluffle"
    },
    {
      "word": "kurfuffle"
    },
    {
      "alt": "by apheresis",
      "word": "fuffle"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "sumatoha",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "суматоха"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "aldarull"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "commoció"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "word": "混亂"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "hùnluàn",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "word": "混乱"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "word": "動亂"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "dòngluàn",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "word": "动乱"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "word": "鬧騰"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "nàoteng",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "word": "闹腾"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "word": "吵鬧"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "chǎonào",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "word": "吵闹"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "povyk"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "rámus"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "mela"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "tahanice"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "word": "tumult"
    },
    {
      "code": "fo",
      "lang": "Faroese",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ófriður"
    },
    {
      "code": "fo",
      "lang": "Faroese",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "rok"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "word": "hälinä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "word": "hässäkkä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "désordre"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "tumulte"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "brouhaha"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Wirbel"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Aufruhr"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Theater"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Durcheinander"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "bafafá"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "distúrbio"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "tumulto"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "sumatóxa",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "сумато́ха"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "word": "disturbio"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "descalzaperros"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "ståhej"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "disorderly outburst",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "uppståndelse"
    }
  ],
  "word": "kerfuffle"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Scots",
    "English terms prefixed with ker-",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ʌfəl",
    "Rhymes:English/ʌfəl/3 syllables",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Catalan translations",
    "Terms with Czech translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Faroese translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Mandarin translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sco",
        "3": "curfuffle"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots curfuffle",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ker",
        "3": "fuffle"
      },
      "expansion": "ker- + fuffle",
      "name": "prefix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ga",
        "2": "cíor thuathail",
        "t": "confusion, bewilderment"
      },
      "expansion": "Irish cíor thuathail (“confusion, bewilderment”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "cy",
        "2": "cythrwfl",
        "3": "",
        "4": "uproar, trouble, agitation"
      },
      "expansion": "Welsh cythrwfl (“uproar, trouble, agitation”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Probably from Scots curfuffle, equivalent to ker- + fuffle, or related to Irish cíor thuathail (“confusion, bewilderment”). Similar to modern Welsh cythrwfl (“uproar, trouble, agitation”)",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "kerfuffles",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kerfuffling",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kerfuffled",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kerfuffled",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "kerfuffle (third-person singular simple present kerfuffles, present participle kerfuffling, simple past and past participle kerfuffled)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "British English",
        "Commonwealth English",
        "English informal terms",
        "Irish English"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make a disorderly outburst or commotion."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "disorderly",
          "disorderly"
        ],
        [
          "outburst",
          "outburst"
        ],
        [
          "commotion",
          "commotion"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly Ireland, UK, Commonwealth, informal) To make a disorderly outburst or commotion."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Commonwealth",
        "Ireland",
        "UK",
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kəˈfʌfəl/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/kɚˈfʌfəl/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-kerfuffle.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/f3/En-us-kerfuffle.ogg/En-us-kerfuffle.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/En-us-kerfuffle.ogg"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-au-kerfuffle.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/4/46/En-au-kerfuffle.ogg/En-au-kerfuffle.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/En-au-kerfuffle.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʌfəl"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "cufuffle"
    },
    {
      "word": "cuffuffle"
    },
    {
      "word": "curfuffle"
    },
    {
      "word": "gefuffle"
    },
    {
      "word": "kafuffle"
    },
    {
      "word": "kerfluff"
    },
    {
      "word": "kerfluffle"
    },
    {
      "word": "kurfuffle"
    },
    {
      "alt": "by apheresis",
      "word": "fuffle"
    }
  ],
  "word": "kerfuffle"
}

Download raw JSONL data for kerfuffle meaning in English (11.2kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.