kick up a fuss
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Object loudly to something.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
‘ You must appreciate Stephen is jealous and kicks up a fuss every time I even suggest seeing you, but I don't intend to let that stop me in future.
The Habitat Directive would seek to improve this situation, but sadly the UK is kicking up a fuss about the depth of the proposal, which simply wishes to preserve our natural heritage.
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Figurative class: Metaphor (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).
Common questions
What does “kick up a fuss” mean?
Object loudly to something.
Is “kick up a fuss” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.