Synonyms

vexing

American

[vek-sing] / ˈvɛk sɪŋ /

adjective

irritating, provoking, or annoying.

Automatic file recovery reintroduced errors already corrected at the proofing stage—which was very vexing.
tormenting, troubling, or distressing.

She came to see racism as her country's most vexing problem.

Other Word Forms

vexingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of vexing

vex ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

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.

Imagine how vexing this has been for Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, whose gutty season yet again ended with a frustrating fizzle.

From Los Angeles Times

The shortage vexing memory chips is being watched warily by other sectors, particularly companies that rely on semiconductors needed to power AI.

From Barron's

And the reality: It was a superbly executed act of strategic opportunism that removed a vexing enemy.

From The Wall Street Journal

Support for these policies is particularly vexing given the strong evidence that they’re negatively associated with share value.

From The Wall Street Journal

The world’s pre-eminent military power must rethink its tried-and-tested tools and tactics even as it girds for one of its most vexing challenges since World War II: potential great-power conflict with China.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023