noun
-
the act of vexing or the state of being vexed
-
something that vexes
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of vexation
1350–1400; Middle English vexacioun < Latin vexātiōn- (stem of vexātiō ), equivalent to vexāt ( us ) (past participle of vexāre to vex; see -ate 1) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Vexation is both something that causes annoyance and the state of mind that results from being annoyed. The test-taker next to you tapping her pencil is a vexation. You breaking her pencil in half makes her feel vexation. Vexation can also refer to something that causes anxiety and worry more than annoyance. When the parents of the kid you're babysitting are two hours late to return and aren’t answering their phones, that could be a vexation. You are less annoyed than worried. (Though, to be honest, you're still a little annoyed).
Vocabulary lists containing vexation
A Midsummer Night's Dream
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Othello
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Grade 9, List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His breakout came when he was named the Canadian representative to the 1997 Venice Biennale, for which he produced a video installation called Vexation Island.
From New York Times • Nov. 3, 2022
Vexation at poor tactics and abrasive personalities was one thing; conviction was another.
From Time Magazine Archive
“Notice he’s cutting some trees up Vexation way.”
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
Vexation and surprise put me fairly beyont mysel—I was taken in a moment.
From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland Volume 10 by Various
Vexation, some thought, contributed as much as climate to determine his return to Holland.
From Life of John Milton by Garnett, Richard
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
