Meaning & use
any further ado
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Meaning
phrasefixed phraseformal
Used in the fixed phrase 'without any further ado' to mean without more delay or unnecessary talk, especially before starting something.
Grammar: Almost always appears after 'without' or 'with no'; it is not used on its own as a sentence opener.
Patterns
- without any further ado
- with no further ado
Without any further ado, let me introduce tonight's speaker.
She opened the envelope and, without any further ado, read the result aloud.
The judge called the next witness with no further ado.
Common combinations
- without any further ado
- Without any further ado, here is the winner.
- with no further ado
- He signed the papers with no further ado.
- after much ado
- After much ado, the concert finally began.
- make a great deal of ado about something
- They made a great deal of ado about a tiny mistake.
Synonyms and how they differ
- without further delay
- This is a plain, neutral way to say the same thing and works in any situation, while 'ado' sounds formal and slightly old-fashioned.
- without more ceremony
- This stresses skipping formal actions rather than skipping talk or delay, so it fits official occasions better.
Word family
- ado noun
- Fuss, trouble, or unnecessary activity; the noun inside this phrase.
Commonly confused: any further ado or ado?
any further ado vs ado
'Ado' means fuss or bother, not 'a do' or 'adieu'; learners sometimes misspell it as 'adieu', which means goodbye.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase is fixed after 'without' or 'with no', so only 'Without any further ado...' is natural. The other options either drop the preposition or use the phrase in an impossible position.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “any further ado”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.