Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Vex
Vex
(vĕks)
, Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Vexed
(vĕkst)
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Vexing
.] [F.
vexer
, L. vexare
, vexatum
, to vex, originally, to shake, toss, in carrying, v. intens. fr. vehere
, vectum
, to carry. See Vehicle
.] 1.
To toss back and forth; to agitate; to disquiet.
White curl the waves, and the
vexed
ocean roars. Pope.
2.
To make angry or annoyed by little provocations; to irritate; to plague; to torment; to harass; to afflict; to trouble; to tease.
“I will not vex your souls.” Shak.
Ten thousand torments
vex
my heart. Prior.
Vex
,Verb.
I.
To be irritated; to fret.
[R.]
Chapman.
Webster 1828 Edition
Vex
VEX
,Verb.
T.
1.
To irritate; to make angry by little provocations; a popular use of the word.2.
To plague; to torment; to harass; to afflict.Ten thousand torments vex my heart.
3.
To disturb; to disquiet; to agitate.White curl the waves, and the vex'd ocean roars.
4.
To trouble; to distress.I will also vex the hearts of many people. Ezek. 32.
5.
To persecute. Act. 12.6.
To stretch, as by hooks. [Not in use.]VEX
,Verb.
I.
Definition 2024
vex
vex
See also: VEX
English
Verb
vex (third-person singular simple present vexes, present participle vexing, simple past and past participle vexed)
- (transitive, now rare) To trouble aggressively, to harass.
- 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Acts XII:
- In that tyme Herode the kynge layed hondes on certayne of the congregacion, to vexe them.
- 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Acts XII:
- (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.
- Dryden
- some English wool, vexed in a Belgian loom
- Dryden
- (intransitive, obsolete) To be irritated; to fret.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Chapman to this entry?)
- (transitive) To toss back and forth; to agitate; to disquiet.
- Alexander Pope
- White curl the waves, and the vexed ocean roars.
- Alexander Pope
Quotations
- For usage examples of this term, see Citations:vex.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
to annoy
|
to distress; to cause mental suffering
|