vex
To annoy or worry someone.
vex in a sentence
- Nothing vexed Grandpa more than crows pecking at his strawberries.
- Nothing seemed to vex the calm bus driver, not even roadworks, rain and a broken ticket machine.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to vex?
- Aplease
- Bannoy
- Ccalm
- Ddelight
Show the answer
B: annoy. The other three mean the opposite of vex.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to vex?
- Aannoy
- Bupset
- Cbother
- Dplease
Show the answer
D: please. The other three mean nearly the same as vex.
Words that mean something similar
annoy, bother, upset
Words that mean the opposite
please, calm, delight
More words about emotions & feelings
- vicarious: Felt by watching or hearing about what happens to someone else, rather than doing it yourself.
- weary: Very tired after long effort.
- wistful: Quietly sad because you are longing for something you cannot have.
- woe: A feeling of deep sadness or big trouble.
- wrath: Very great anger.
- wretched: Very unhappy, or in a very poor and miserable state.
- yearn: To want something so much that it almost hurts.
- zest: A feeling of great enjoyment and enthusiasm.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test