vex
verb (used with object)
had vexed
-
past perfectof vex.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
The wicked Navier-Stokes problem had vexed mathematicians for nearly a century.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
It wasn’t just the 3-pointers that had vexed the Wolves this season.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 26, 2022
The narrator makes vague reference to “all the other sorrows that had vexed her over the last two years,” without explaining what they are, because, after all, no one has bothered to ask.
From New York Times ● Mar. 29, 2022
The actor and comedian is interviewed in the series about his late spouse’s struggles to balance her home life and her drive to unravel a mystery that had vexed law enforcement for decades.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2020
On returning, now charged to find that woman’s daughter, he knew why the previous assignment had vexed him so.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
