vex
Americanverb (used with object)
-
vexes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
vexed,
past participle, past
-
vexing
present participle
-
His noisy neighbors often vexed him.
- Antonyms:
- delight
-
to torment; trouble; distress; plague; worry.
Lack of money vexes many.
Her arthritis vexed her all night.
-
to confuse or bewilder; confound.
The formula vexes most of our students at first.
-
to discuss or debate (a subject, question, etc.) with vigor or at great length.
They vexed the question endlessly without agreeing.
-
to disturb by motion; stir up; toss about.
verb
-
to anger or annoy
-
to confuse; worry
-
archaic to agitate
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
vexsimple
-
vexessimple
-
have vexedperfect
-
has vexedperfect
-
am vexingprogressive
-
are vexingprogressive
-
is vexingprogressive
-
have been vexingperfect progressive
-
has been vexingperfect progressive
Past
-
vexedsimple
-
had vexedperfect
-
was vexingprogressive
-
were vexingprogressive
-
had been vexingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of vex
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English vexen, from Old French vexer, from Latin vexāre “to shake, jolt, harass, annoy,” frequentative of vehere “to carry, convey”
Explanation
If something vexes you, it brings you trouble or difficulty. In other words, it annoys, worries, distresses, irritates, bothers, or puzzles you. Vex can be used as an adjective: for example, a vexing issue is not easily solved. The verb vex, the corresponding adjective vexatious, and the noun vexation are all slightly old-fashioned though still in current use. Vex descends through Middle English from Latin vexare, "to shake, attack, trouble."
Vocabulary lists containing vex
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"The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe
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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.
See Examples For:
The brevity—and breakneck speed—of many of the new trade deals with the U.S. have left ambiguities that vex swift approvals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026
But it doesn’t actually seem to vex your generation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2024
These poor circumstances vex artists, despite optimism by curators and others who say more and more Ugandans are starting to appreciate art as an attractive investment option.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 15, 2023
No matter the answer, Gef has continued to vex and tantalize for decades.
From National Geographic ● Sep. 19, 2023
Where I might go, what I might do, or when I might return, were questions utterly unknown to me; nor did I vex my mind with them, for it was wholly set on Provis’s safety.
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
That question vexes former Royal Netherlands Air Force Apache attack helicopter pilot Roy Lindelauf, who is now a professor of data science in the department of intelligent systems of Tilburg University.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
It is this uncertainty that vexes political pundits and campaign strategists alike.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2024
Regarding the Dec. 4 Metro article “Metro’s focus on evasion vexes kids”:
From Washington Post ● Dec. 8, 2022
He even puts up a poster decreeing “No eating people” in his apartment, which vexes Venom mightily.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 30, 2021
“Indeed, sorrow for his father vexes his spirit, making him quite melancholy,” said Horatio.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
A multiday music festival on the beach is a SoCal dream that has tantalized and vexed concert promoters for generations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Ms. Kaushal sets out her argument in “When Africa Comes to America,” a buoyant and refreshing book on the vexed and frequently toxic topic of immigration to this country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
"There is no point in bemoaning what is going on" one says phlegmatically, "Andy Burnham's inherited this vexed issue that our jails are full, it's in the nature of being PM."
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
But at the time, a teenage Adrian, hoping to break into the more commercial side of the film business, was vexed by his father’s reluctance to pursue Hollywood money-makers.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
Ash's step mother was not wearing a mask, and she looked extremely vexed as she herded her daughters out toward the courtyard and the carriages.
From "Ash" by Malinda Lo
Yet finding the right winners, and sizing them appropriately, in a trade that seems increasingly crowded, has been vexing for even seasoned investment managers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
She also believed that Oklahoma’s justice system had thrown the book at Walters as a convenient way to clear a vexing case.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
I have some exciting editions planned, but I also want to hear from you: What money matters are vexing you?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
And this week, he spoke about another issue vexing him: men’s sperm count.
From Salon ● May 15, 2026
I miss the old Katherine, the one I knew back in Baltimore, even as that girl was sorely vexing.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
