Meaning & use
vex
Last updated
UK/veks/
US/vɛks/
Meanings
verbtransitiveformal
To annoy or trouble someone, often with a small, persistent problem.
Grammar: Takes an object: the delay vexed her.
Patterns
- vex someone
The constant noise vexed the neighbors.
It vexed him that nobody replied.
verbtransitiveliterary
To puzzle or worry someone for a long time, as a hard question does.
Grammar: Often used for a problem that vexes scholars.
Patterns
- vex someone
The question has vexed historians for decades.
A puzzle that vexed the whole town was finally solved.
Word forms
| third person singular | vexes |
|---|---|
| past tense | vexed |
| past participle | vexed |
| -ing form | vexing |
Common combinations
- vexed question
- The vexed question of funding returned.
- vex someone
- Delays vex him.
- vexing problem
- A vexing problem faced the team.
- greatly vexed
- She was greatly vexed.
Synonyms and how they differ
- annoy
- Annoy is the everyday, neutral word.
- irritate
- Irritate suggests a sharper, rubbing annoyance.
- perplex
- Perplex means to confuse, not just annoy.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: vex or hex?
vex vs hex
A hex is a curse; vex is to annoy.
Practice
Which sentence uses vex correctly?
Choose one answer.
Vex takes a person as its object and means to annoy. The others misuse it.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “vex”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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