Synonyms for vex
vɛksvex

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:3.5 / 2 votes

1. vexverb

   To annoy, irritate.

   Billy's professor was vexed by his continued failure to improve his grades.

   Synonyms:
   agitate, irritate

2. vexverb

   Synonyms:
   afflict, torment

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. vex

   One may be annoyed by the well-meaning awkwardness of a servant, irritated by a tight shoe or a thoughtless remark, vexed at some careless neglect or needless misfortune, wounded by the ingratitude of child or friend. To tease is to give some slight and perhaps playful annoyance. Aggravate in the sense of offend is colloquial. To provoke, literally to call out or challenge, is to begin a contest; one provokes another to violence. To affront is to offer some defiant offense or indignity, as it were, to one's face; it is somewhat less than to insult. Compare PIQUE.

   Synonyms:
   affront, aggravate, annoy, displease, exasperate, insult, irritate, offend, provoke, tease, wound

   Antonyms:
   conciliate, content, gratify, honor, please

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. vex

   Synonyms:
   tease, irritate, provoke, plague, torment, tantalize, bother, worry, pester, trouble, disquiet, afflict, harass, annoy

   Antonyms:
   soothe, appease, gratify, quiet, please

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:2.0 / 1 vote

1. annoy, rag, get to, bother, get at, irritate, rile, nark, nettle, gravel, vex, chafe, devilverb

   cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations

   "Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me"; "It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves"

   Synonyms:
   nark, dumbfound, get at, reproof, chide, bait, mystify, urticate, rile, fret, dun, cod, razz, crucify, stick, bedevil, reprimand, reach, amaze, lambaste, devil, get to, rub, tantalise, frustrate, annoy, chew out, beat, lambast, trounce, tease, taunt, roil, access, berate, chew up, disoblige, torment, stupefy, lecture, trouble oneself, agitate, put out, rag, discommode, inconvenience oneself, ride, bewilder, dress down, irritate, tantalize, stir up, rally, make, remonstrate, flummox, incommode, get, baffle, jaw, rebuke, worry, pose, inconvenience, perplex, raise up, bother, gravel, disturb, take to task, fray, gall, puzzle, trouble, bawl out, scratch, nettle, progress to, call on the carpet, commove, twit, excoriate, have words, chafe, scold, call down, shake up, nonplus

2. worry, vexverb

   disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress

   "I cannot sleep--my daughter's health is worrying me"

   Synonyms:
   shake up, baffle, stick, perplex, raise up, get, nark, mystify, flummox, commove, bother, agitate, care, rile, concern, gravel, nonplus, occupy, get to, dumbfound, nettle, chafe, get at, beat, irritate, amaze, annoy, puzzle, bewilder, rag, stupefy, worry, interest, stir up, disturb, pose, devil

3. agitate, vex, disturb, commove, shake up, stir up, raise upverb

   change the arrangement or position of

   Synonyms:
   fight, touch, crusade, succuss, excite, stick, perplex, disturb, get, nark, irritate, shake up, shake, mystify, flummox, commove, inflame, bother, press, agitate, rile, gravel, stir, nonplus, wake, shift, instigate, stimulate, reorganise, get to, dumbfound, rouse, fire up, reorganize, interrupt, heat, nettle, baffle, chafe, get at, trouble, beat, fluff up, ignite, budge, amaze, turn on, charge, annoy, bump around, upset, charge up, incite, jar, puzzle, bewilder, rag, push, foment, campaign, stupefy, worry, stir up, raise up, plump up, pose, devil, set off

4. vexverb

   subject to prolonged examination, discussion, or deliberation

   "vex the subject of the death penalty"

   Synonyms:
   pose, agitate, commove, stick, shake up, devil, beat, worry, nettle, stupefy, puzzle, chafe, nark, irritate, perplex, bewilder, nonplus, mystify, bother, stir up, annoy, get, baffle, raise up, amaze, dumbfound, rag, disturb, get to, get at, flummox, rile, gravel

5. perplex, vex, stick, get, puzzle, mystify, baffle, beat, pose, bewilder, flummox, stupefy, nonplus, gravel, amaze, dumbfoundverb

   be a mystery or bewildering to

   "This beats me!"; "Got me--I don't know the answer!"; "a vexing problem"; "This question really stuck me"

   Synonyms:
   drum, lay, take, cause, receive, get at, outfox, wash up, foil, start, besot, father, experience, mystify, pound, rile, stun, have, become, sustain, stay, put, scram, regulate, drive, start out, amaze, stimulate, sire, model, devil, cohere, sting, engender, get to, cleave, go, fix, scotch, pay back, annoy, stick, suffer, beat up, beat, set about, trounce, get down, thrum, incur, posture, stick by, draw, contract, bring forth, grow, dumbfound, stupefy, exhaust, overreach, stick around, set out, agitate, flap, rag, crush, arrest, stick to, develop, outwit, throw, bring, bewilder, nettle, irritate, mother, set, personate, stir up, lodge, quiver, buzz off, catch, present, scramble, wedge, shake up, make, beget, puzzle, flummox, stand by, thump, cross, get, generate, bind, complicate, nark, find, outsmart, deposit, cling, obtain, worry, pose, adhere, capture, position, aim, induce, ticktack, spoil, perplex, work over, tucker out, raise up, bother, bunk, gravel, begin, disturb, impersonate, fetch, discombobulate, circumvent, let, get under one's skin, frustrate, sit, astound, arrive, tick, produce, pulsate, convey, thwart, bond, acquire, come, bemuse, tucker, commove, pay off, bilk, astonish, ticktock, bugger off, beat out, hold fast, chafe, vanquish, shell, stay put, place, nonplus, commence, baffle

Matched Categories

1. • Confuse
   • Debate
   • Move
   • Perturb

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. vexverb

   Synonyms:
   tease, torment, plague, harass, worry, harry, hector, distress, annoy, trouble, fret, provoke, offend, irritate, gall, chafe, displease, molest, pester, bother, badger

2. vexverb

   Synonyms:
   disturb, disquiet, agitate

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. vexverb

   Synonyms:
   tease, plague, harass, torment, tantalize, hector, annoy, irritate, trouble, bother, distress

Suggested Resources

1. VEX

   What does VEX stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the VEX acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

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How to use vex in a sentence?

1. Elizabeth Barrett Browning:

   The works of women are symbolical. We sew, sew, prick our fingers, dull our sight, producing what? A pair of slippers, sir, to put on when you're weary -- or a stool. To stumble over and vex you... curse that stool! Or else at best, a cushion, where you lean and sleep, and dream of something we are not, but would be for your sake. Alas, alas! This hurts most, this... that, after all, we are paid the worth of our work, perhaps.

2. Leonardo DaVinci:

   Patience serves as a protection against wrongs as clothes do against cold. For if you put on more clothes as the cold increases, it will have no power to hurt you. So in like manner you must grow in patience when you meet with great wrongs, and they will then be powerless to vex your mind.