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 WebNo Asian economy has grappled with gender equality more arduously than Japan, a nation vexed by the world’s oldest workforce, among the world’s lowest birth rates, and a long-standing aversion to immigrant labor.—Beth Greenfield, Fortune Asia, 7 Oct. 2024 There’s a puzzling tension inherent in these amplitudes — one that has vexed generations of quantum physicists going back to Feynman and Schwinger themselves.—Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 25 Sep. 2024 Yet, food companies have been dealing with many of the same price hikes that have vexed their customers.—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 5 Sep. 2024 In Paris, the competitors will find an athletic festival strained by issues that have vexed other host cities: security concerns, budget overruns and fractured public support.—Stacy St Clair, The Mercury News, 23 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for vex
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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