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

Trump proved to be a vexing ideological lodestar—aggressively anti-intellectual in his attitudes and consistently inconsistent in his views. —Jason Zengerle, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026

Other therapists said the technology is also vexing their patients. —Annie Nova, CNBC, 24 Jan. 2026

Living inside a creative mind responsible for a work of art that never existed is a vexing proposition. —David John Chávez, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026

That loss particularly vexed me. —Leah Donnella, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Jan. 2026