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 WebOlympic sport climbers are facing vexing boulders as the competition got underway.—Rachel G Bowers, USA TODAY, 6 Aug. 2024 Unlike her pal with the long trail of vexing exes, Ice Spice bears no discernible burden in these sneering little ditties.—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024 With many California voters vexed over crime rates and drug abuse, the ballot measure could also turn out those who aren’t typically interested in voting, said Wesley Hussey, professor of political science at California State University, Sacramento.—Alena Botros, Fortune, 27 June 2024 Getting a better sense of this black hole's history could provide more perspective on some questions that are currently vexing astronomers.—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 10 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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