vex

See also: VEX

EnglishEdit

WOTD – 13 July 2006

EtymologyEdit

From Middle English vexen, from Old French vexer, from Latin vēxāre (“disturb, agitate, annoy”). Displaced native Middle English grillen (“to vex, annoy”) from Old English grillan. Doublet of quake.

PronunciationEdit

enPR: vĕks, IPA^(key): /vɛks/
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Rhymes: -ɛks

VerbEdit

vex (third-person singular simple present vexes, present participle vexing, simple past and past participle vexed or (archaic) vext)

(transitive, now rare) To trouble aggressively, to harass.
- 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], OCLC 762018299, Acts xij:[1], folio clxxj, verso:
  In that tyme Herode the kynge layed hondes on certayne of the congregaciõ / to vexe them.
(transitive) To annoy, irritate.
Billy's professor was vexed by his continued failure to improve his grades.
(transitive) To cause (mental) suffering to; to distress.
(transitive, rare) To twist, to weave.
- 1668, John Dryden, Annus Mirabilis: The Year of Wonders, M. DC. LXVI. […], London: […] Henry Herringman, […], OCLC 1064438096, (please specify the stanza number):
  
  some English wool, vexed in a Belgian loom
(intransitive, obsolete) To be irritated; to fret.
- 1613, George Chapman, The Revenge of Bussy D'Ambois
  Wake when thou would'st wake, fear nought, vex for nought
(transitive) To toss back and forth; to agitate; to disquiet.
- 1725, Homer; [Elijah Fenton], transl., “Book IV”, in The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume I, London: […] Bernard Lintot, OCLC 8736646:
  White curl the waves, and the vexed ocean roars.

QuotationsEdit

For quotations using this term, see Citations:vex.

SynonymsEdit

(to annoy): agitate, irk, irritate
(to cause mental suffering): afflict, grame, torment

Derived termsEdit

Derived terms

Related termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

rare, archaic: to trouble aggressively

French: vexer (fr)

Spanish: fastidiar (es) m

to annoy

Cornish: veksya
Czech: otravovat (cs)
Dutch: ergeren (nl)
Finnish: ärsyttää (fi)
French: ennuyer (fr), énerver (fr)
Georgian: გაღიზიანება (gaɣizianeba)
German: ärgern (de), verärgern (de), reizen (de), irritieren (de)
Hungarian: piszkál (hu), vegzál (hu)
Ido: iracigar (io)
Italian: vessare (it), innervosire
Latin: vexō, piget, taedet

Maori: hawene
Persian: آزردن‎ (fa) (âzordan)
Portuguese: vexar (pt), irritar (pt), aborrecer (pt)
Russian: раздража́ть (ru) (razdražátʹ), досажда́ть (ru) (dosaždátʹ)
Scottish Gaelic: sàraich
Spanish: disgustarse (es), vejar (es)
Swedish: irritera (sv), förarga (sv)
Turkish: kızdırmak (tr)

to distress; to cause mental suffering

Czech: trápit (cs)
Dutch: kwellen (nl)
Finnish: kiusata (fi), vaivata (fi)
French: vexer (fr) informal, tourmenter (fr)
Georgian: აღელვება (aɣelveba)
German: beunruhigen (de), quälen (de)
Greek:
Ancient: ἀνιάω (aniáō)
Irish: buair

Italian: tormentare (it), vessare (it), infastidire (it)
Persian: رنجاندن‎ (fa) (ranjândan)
Portuguese: tormentar, vexar (pt)
Quechua: ch'iqmichiy
Russian: волнова́ть (ru) (volnovátʹ)
Scottish Gaelic: sàraich
Spanish: disgustar (es)
Turkish: rahatsız etmek (tr)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked