Synonyms of vex

vex

verb

ˈveks 

1

as in to annoy

to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts

my coworkers' loud, endless conversations vexed me

Synonyms & Similar Words

• annoy
• bother
• irritate
• persecute
• bug
• aggravate
• exasperate
• irk
• infuriate
• rile
• spite
• get
• worry
• anger
• eat
• itch
• chafe
• burn (up)
• gripe
• grate
• plague
• pique
• tease
• ruffle
• provoke
• frost
• get to
• nark
• gall
• put out
• wear on
• insult
• peeve
• hack (off)
• nettle
• harass
• rub the wrong way
• rasp
• offend
• nag
• enrage
• upset
• rouse
• stick in one's craw
• get on one's nerves
• heckle
• unsettle
• get one's goat
• set one's teeth on edge
• pester
• enflame
• inflame
• antagonize
• devil
• agitate
• hassle
• perturb
• distress
• badger
• rankle
• roil
• discompose
• outrage
• disquiet
• harry
• discomfort
• madden
• unhinge
• fret
• affront
• bait
• undo
• bullyrag
• exercise
• ballyrag
• incense
• miff
• freak (out)
• hagride

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• appease
• placate
• oblige
• pacify
• conciliate
• please
• satisfy
• gratify
• delight
• mollify
• propitiate
• assure
• soothe
• reassure
• cheer
• gladden
• comfort
• content
• quiet
• console
• solace

2

as in to perplex

to throw into a state of mental uncertainty

a mystery novel that is sure to vex even the canniest readers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• perplex
• bewilder
• confuse
• baffle
• puzzle
• embarrass
• befuddle
• confound
• mystify
• flummox
• discombobulate
• bother
• bemuse
• disturb
• stun
• fuddle
• pose
• disorient
• muddle
• rattle
• fluster
• maze
• befog
• addle
• fox
• upset
• bamboozle
• muddy
• buffalo
• unsettle
• gravel
• get
• beat
• blow one's mind
• discomfit
• distress
• disconcert
• mortify
• agitate
• stick
• nonplus
• faze
• abash
• perturb
• go to one's head
• stump
• deceive
• discompose
• disquiet
• discountenance
• discomfort
• beguile
• delude
• unhinge
• dismay
• mislead
• weird out
• chagrin
• fool
• cozen
• misguide
• trick
• hoodwink
• humbug
• dupe
• snow
• gull
• string along
• take in
• hoax

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• assure
• satisfy
• inform
• reassure
• enlighten

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb vex differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of vex are annoy, bother, and irk. While all these words mean "to upset a person's composure," 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

Where would annoy be a reasonable alternative to vex?

The synonyms annoy and vex are sometimes interchangeable, but annoy implies a wearing on the nerves by persistent petty unpleasantness.

their constant complaining annoys us

When can bother be used instead of vex?

While the synonyms bother and vex are close in meaning, bother suggests interference with comfort or peace of mind.

don't bother me while I'm reading

When is it sensible to use irk instead of vex?

In some situations, the words irk and vex are roughly equivalent. However, irk stresses difficulty in enduring and the resulting weariness or impatience of spirit.

careless waste irks the boss

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of vex

But the relentless increase in the value of the most expensive art works—frequently engineered by the auction houses themselves—has meant that negotiations with consignors have become only more vexed. —Sam Knight, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025

The decision has vexed supporters of the program and of journalism in general, who charged Paramount executives risked tarnishing a media brand that has long sought to hold power to account and to probe events with an independent lens. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 21 Aug. 2025

Now, more and more people are making a case for appreciating those once-vexing clovers. —Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 11 Aug. 2025

Although proximity makes for easier studies, this is counterbalanced against the system’s vexing complexity. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2025