Meanings
vex1
present singular third person vexes · participle present vexing · participle past vexed · past vexed · archaic participle past vext · archaic past vext
- transitiveTo annoy, irritate.
Billy's professor was vexed by his continued failure to improve his grades.
1 more example
The first thing that greets you on entering the church is a notice asking you not to vex the goat, since it renders valuable service in keeping the churchyard tidy.
1980, AA book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 164Synonyms: agitate, irk, irritate, aggravate, annoy, nettle, rankle, ruffle
- transitiveTo cause (mental) suffering to; to distress.
I will not again vex her ear with words of love, however true, however deep: ours is an evil destiny, and we may not control it!
1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 1511 more example
I vex my heart with fancies dim: He still outstript me in the race; It was but unity of place That made me dream I rank’d with him.
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XLI”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 64 - archaictransitiveTo trouble aggressively, to harass.
In that tyme Herode the kynge layed hondes on certayne of the congregaciõ, to vexe them.
1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts xij:[1], folio clxxj, versoSynonyms: beset, hassle, badger, bait, bedevil, beleaguer, persecute, dog
VEX2
- abbreviationinitialismspaceESAInitialism of Venus Express.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo annoy, irritate.
verbTo trouble aggressively, to harass.
More synonyms by meaning
verbcause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations
verbdisturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress
verbchange the arrangement or position of
verbbe a mystery or bewildering to
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinvexō
- Old Frenchvexer
- Middle Englishvexen
- Englishvex
From Middle English vexen, from Old French vexer, from Latin vexāre (“disturb, agitate, annoy”). Displaced native Old English dreċċan and gremman.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ὀχλέω, ἀνιάω
- ὀχλέω (okhléō)to annoy
- ἀνιάω (aniáō)to distress; to cause mental suffering
- ὀχλέω (okhléō)to distress; to cause mental suffering
Bulgarian ядосвам, дразня
- ядосвам (jadosvam)to annoy
- дразня (draznja)rare, archaic: to trouble aggressively
Czech otravovat, trápit
- otravovatto annoy
- trápitto distress; to cause mental suffering
Dutch ergeren, kwellen
- ergerento annoy
- kwellento distress; to cause mental suffering
Esperanto ĉagreni
- ĉagrenito distress; to cause mental suffering
Finnish ärsyttää, kiusata
- ärsyttääto annoy
- kiusatato distress; to cause mental suffering
- vaivatato distress; to cause mental suffering
French ennuyer, énerver
- ennuyerto annoy
- énerverto annoy
- vexer informalto distress; to cause mental suffering
- tourmenterto distress; to cause mental suffering
- vexerrare, archaic: to trouble aggressively
German ärgern, verärgern
- ärgernto annoy
- verärgernto annoy
- reizento annoy
- irritierento annoy
- beunruhigento distress; to cause mental suffering
- quälento distress; to cause mental suffering
Hindi परेशान करना
- परेशान करना (pareśān karnā)to annoy
Hungarian piszkál, vegzál
- piszkálto annoy
- vegzálto annoy
Irish buair
- buairto distress; to cause mental suffering
Italian vessare, innervosire
- vessareto annoy
- innervosireto annoy
- tormentareto distress; to cause mental suffering
- vessareto distress; to cause mental suffering
- infastidireto distress; to cause mental suffering
Latin vexō, piget
- vexōto annoy
- pigetto annoy
- taedetto annoy
Māori hawene
- haweneto annoy
Persian آزردن, رنجاندن
- آزردن (âzordan)to annoy
- رنجاندن (ranjândan)to distress; to cause mental suffering
Polish denerwować, gnębić
- denerwowaćto annoy
- gnębićto distress; to cause mental suffering
- niepokoićto distress; to cause mental suffering
Portuguese vexar, irritar
- vexarto annoy
- irritarto annoy
- aborrecerto annoy
- tormentarto distress; to cause mental suffering
- vexarto distress; to cause mental suffering
Romanian vexa
- vexato distress; to cause mental suffering
Russian раздража́ть, досажда́ть
- раздража́ть (razdražátʹ)to annoy
- досажда́ть (dosaždátʹ)to annoy
- волнова́ть (volnovátʹ)to distress; to cause mental suffering
Scottish Gaelic sàraich, sàraich
- sàraichto annoy
- sàraichto distress; to cause mental suffering
Spanish molestar, irritar
- molestarto annoy
- irritarto annoy
- vejarto annoy
- disgustarto distress; to cause mental suffering
- afligirto distress; to cause mental suffering
- atormentarto distress; to cause mental suffering
- vejarto distress; to cause mental suffering
- fastidiarrare, archaic: to trouble aggressively
- vejarrare, archaic: to trouble aggressively
Swedish irritera, förarga
- irriterato annoy
- förargato annoy
Turkish kızdırmak, rahatsız etmek
- kızdırmakto annoy
- rahatsız etmekto distress; to cause mental suffering
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with vex
Cite this entry
vex. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vex
“vex.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vex. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vex,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vex.
Source: vex on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.