Adjacent Words

Vex definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

VEX, v.t. [L. vexo.]
1. To irritate; to make angry by little provocations; a popular use of the word.
2. To plague; to torment; to harass; to afflict.
Ten thousand torments vex my heart.
3. To disturb; to disquiet; to agitate.
White curl the waves, and the vex'd ocean roars.
4. To trouble; to distress.
I will also vex the hearts of many people. Ezek 32.
5. To persecute. Acts 12.
6. To stretch, as by hooks. [Not in use.]
VEX, v.i. To fret; to be teased or irritated.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations; "Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me"; "It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves" [syn: annoy, rag, get to, bother, get at, irritate, rile, nark, nettle, gravel, vex, chafe, devil]
2: disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress; "I cannot sleep--my daughter's health is worrying me" [syn: worry, vex] [ant: assure, reassure]
3: change the arrangement or position of [syn: agitate, vex, disturb, commove, shake up, stir up, raise up]
4: subject to prolonged examination, discussion, or deliberation; "vex the subject of the death penalty"
5: be a mystery or bewildering to; "This beats me!"; "Got me--I don't know the answer!"; "a vexing problem"; "This question really stuck me" [syn: perplex, vex, stick, get, puzzle, mystify, baffle, beat, pose, bewilder, flummox, stupefy, nonplus, gravel, amaze, dumbfound]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb (vexed; also vext; vexing) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French vexer, from Latin vexare to agitate, harry; probably akin to Latin vehere to convey — more at way Date: 15th century 1. a. to bring trouble, distress, or agitation to <the restaurant is vexed by slow service> b. to bring physical distress to <a headache vexed him all morning> c. to irritate or annoy by petty provocations ; harass <vexed by the children> d. puzzle, baffle <a problem to vex the keenest wit> 2. to shake or toss about Synonyms: see annoy

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 anger by a slight or a petty annoyance; irritate. 2 archaic grieve, afflict. Derivatives: vexer n. vexing adj. vexingly adv. Etymology: ME f. OF vexer f. L vexare shake, disturb

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Vex Vex, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vexed; p. pr. & vb. n. Vexing.] [F. vexer, L. vexare, vexatum, to vex, originally, to shake, toss, in carrying, v. intens. fr. vehere, vectum, to carry. See Vehicle.] 1. To to?s back and forth; to agitate; to disquiet. White curl the waves, and the vexed ocean roars. --Pope. 2. To make angry or annoyed by little provocations; to irritate; to plague; to torment; to harass; to afflict; to trouble; to tease. ``I will not vex your souls.'' --Shak. Then thousand torments vex my heart. --Prior. 3. To twist; to weave. [R.] Some English wool, vexed in a Belgian loom. --Dryden. Syn: See Tease.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Vex Vex, v. i. To be irritated; to fret. [R.] --Chapman.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(vexes, vexing, vexed) If someone or something vexes you, they make you feel annoyed, puzzled, and frustrated. It vexed me to think of others gossiping behind my back... = annoy VERB: V n • vexed Exporters, farmers and industrialists alike are vexed and blame the government. ADJ: usu v-link ADJ • vexing There remains, however, another and more vexing problem. ADJ see also vexed

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Tease, torment, plague, harass, worry, harry, hector, distress, annoy, trouble, perplex, persecute, cross, pother, gall, chafe, molest, pester, bother, badger. 2. Fret, irritate, provoke, displease, offend, nettle, try the patience of, affront, enchafe. 3. Disturb, disquiet, agitate, put in commotion.

Moby Thesaurus

abrade, aggravate, ail, anger, annoy, arouse, badger, bait, be at, be the matter, bedevil, beset, bother, bristle, brown off, bug, bullyrag, burn up, chafe, chaw, chivy, complicate matters, concern, devil, discommode, discompose, distemper, distress, disturb, dog, embarrass, embitter, exasperate, exercise, fash, fret, gall, get, gripe, harass, harry, haunt, heckle, hector, hound, huff, incense, inconvenience, inflame, infuriate, irk, irritate, miff, molest, nag, needle, nettle, nudzh, peeve, perplex, persecute, perturb, pester, pick on, pique, plague, pluck the beard, pother, provoke, put out, put to it, puzzle, rankle, ride, rile, roil, ruffle, set up, stir the blood, stir up, tease, torment, trouble, try the patience, tweak the nose, work up, worry