annoy implies a wearing on the nerves by persistent petty unpleasantness.
their constant complaining annoys us
vex implies greater provocation and stronger disturbance and usually connotes anger but sometimes perplexity or anxiety.
vexed by her son's failure to clean his room
irk stresses difficulty in enduring and the resulting weariness or impatience of spirit.
careless waste irks the boss
bother suggests interference with comfort or peace of mind.
don't bother me while I'm reading
Examples of vex in a Sentence
This problem has vexed researchers for years.
We were vexed by the delay.
Recent Examples on the WebThe colt is the reigning 2-year-old champion and morning-line Derby favorite and perhaps Repole’s best chance to win a race that has utterly vexed him.—Joe Drape, New York Times, 3 May 2024 But, experts warn, the findings display far from a unanimous tilt towards China amid the great-power rivalry vexing the region.—Koh Ewe, TIME, 2 Apr. 2024 Local officials were perhaps most vexed by the cars.—Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024 The question seemed to vex the many passers-by who stopped to gape.—Priya Krishna, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024 The participation rate has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, vexing economists and the Fed, while also contributing to an imbalance of worker supply and demand.—Alicia Wallace, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 Successfully executing on a hybrid plan continues to vex many companies, whose tired return-to-office mandates remain difficult to enforce, and whose employees remain difficult to please.—Jane Thier, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2024 Shootings of youths are soaring in D.C., vexing city leaders
Myamee Malloy said her family struggles with how to tell her younger siblings their young loved one is dead.—Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024 Recommended Peace Besieged on all sides, Israeli Arabs preach message of coexistence
The situation at the United States-Mexico border has vexed the Democratic president, who is seeking reelection in 2024.—Colleen Long, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vex.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French vexer, from Latin vexare to agitate, harry; probably akin to Latin vehere to convey — more at way
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