Synonyms of vex

vex

verb

ˈveks 

1

as in to annoy

to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts

my coworkers' loud, endless conversations vexed me

Synonyms & Similar Words

• annoy
• bother
• irritate
• bug
• persecute
• aggravate
• exasperate
• irk
• infuriate
• rile
• spite
• worry
• get
• anger
• eat
• itch
• chafe
• burn (up)
• gripe
• grate
• pique
• plague
• tease
• ruffle
• provoke
• frost
• get to
• nark
• gall
• put out
• wear on
• peeve
• hack (off)
• nettle
• insult
• harass
• rub the wrong way
• rasp
• offend
• nag
• enrage
• upset
• rouse
• stick in one's craw
• get on one's nerves
• heckle
• unsettle
• get one's goat
• set one's teeth on edge
• pester
• inflame
• antagonize
• devil
• agitate
• hassle
• perturb
• distress
• badger
• rankle
• roil
• discompose
• disquiet
• outrage
• harry
• discomfort
• madden
• unhinge
• fret
• affront
• bait
• undo
• bullyrag
• exercise
• incense
• miff
• freak (out)
• hagride

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• appease
• placate
• oblige
• pacify
• conciliate
• please
• satisfy
• gratify
• delight
• mollify
• propitiate
• assure
• soothe
• reassure
• cheer
• gladden
• comfort
• content
• quiet
• console
• solace

2

as in to perplex

to throw into a state of mental uncertainty

a mystery novel that is sure to vex even the canniest readers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• perplex
• bewilder
• confuse
• baffle
• puzzle
• embarrass
• befuddle
• confound
• mystify
• flummox
• discombobulate
• bother
• bemuse
• disturb
• stun
• fuddle
• pose
• disorient
• muddle
• rattle
• fluster
• maze
• befog
• addle
• fox
• upset
• bamboozle
• muddy
• buffalo
• unsettle
• gravel
• get
• beat
• blow one's mind
• discomfit
• distress
• disconcert
• mortify
• agitate
• stick
• nonplus
• faze
• abash
• perturb
• go to one's head
• stump
• deceive
• discompose
• disquiet
• discountenance
• discomfort
• beguile
• delude
• unhinge
• dismay
• mislead
• weird out
• chagrin
• fool
• cozen
• misguide
• trick
• hoodwink
• humbug
• dupe
• snow
• gull
• string along
• take in
• hoax

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• assure
• satisfy
• inform
• reassure
• enlighten

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb vex differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of vex are annoy, bother, and irk. While all these words mean "to upset a person's composure," 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

Where would annoy be a reasonable alternative to vex?

The synonyms annoy and vex are sometimes interchangeable, but annoy implies a wearing on the nerves by persistent petty unpleasantness.

their constant complaining annoys us

When can bother be used instead of vex?

While the synonyms bother and vex are close in meaning, bother suggests interference with comfort or peace of mind.

don't bother me while I'm reading

When is it sensible to use irk instead of vex?

In some situations, the words irk and vex are roughly equivalent. However, irk stresses difficulty in enduring and the resulting weariness or impatience of spirit.

careless waste irks the boss

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of vex

These are accompanied by jarring, discordant music tone outbursts accented with a vexing metallic buzz. —Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 13 May 2026

As much as the parameter-less financial model of the modern major college athletic department vexes leaders, the realities of the transfer portal are a close second — because they are linked. —Mac Engel april 23, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2026

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of both nations, which share the island of Hispaniola and a vexing history, announced that the Dominican Republic would restore commercial flights between Santo Domingo and Cap-Haïtien for the first time in over two years, beginning May 1. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2026

The question of how to make a business out of those connections has proven as vexing for Wang and Bluesky as for any number of earlier startups, and the community’s top users have been experimenting with a variety of ways to make money. —Ben Smith, semafor.com, 10 Apr. 2026