Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
name
Initialism of Venus Express.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Topics: ESA, aerospace, business, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, space-science
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A trouble.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Scotland, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To annoy, irritate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Synonyms: agitate, irk, irritate, aggravate, annoy, nettle, rankle, ruffle, sting, antagonize, bother, disgruntle, botherate, bug, get, grate, burn up, bedevil, cheese off, devil, exasperate, frustrate, get up, grotch, hack off, hassle, jazz, molest, mommick, nark, nerve, pee off, peeve, peeve off, persecute, pique, piss off, provoke, rile, rile up, roil, storm, test someone's patience, tick off, trouble, try one's patience, vex, wind up, Idioms:, boil someone's piss, chap someone's hide, get on someone's nerves, get on someone's tits, get on someone's wick, get someone's back up, get someone's dander up, get someone's goat, get someone's Irish up, get someone's nanny, get someone's nanny-goat, get under one's goat, get under someone's skin, give someone the shits, grind one's gears, harsh one's mellow, put someone's back up, raise someone's hackles, rub someone the wrong way, rub up the wrong way, ruffle someone's feathers, tee off, torque off
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To cause (mental) suffering to; to distress.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: afflict, grame, torment
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To trouble aggressively, to harass.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: beset, hassle, badger, bait, bedevil, beleaguer, persecute, dog, besiege, bug, devil, chevy, give someone grief, harass, harry, hound, pester, pick at, plague, vex
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To twist, to weave.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To be irritated; to fret.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: chafe, fume
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To toss back and forth; to agitate; to disquiet.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
be a mystery or bewildering to
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: perplex, stick, get, puzzle, mystify, baffle, beat, pose, bewilder, flummox, stupefy, nonplus, gravel, amaze, dumbfound
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: confuse, throw, fox, befuddle, fuddle, bedevil, confound, discombobulate
Narrower terms: stump, mix up, riddle, elude, escape
verb
subject to prolonged examination, discussion, or deliberation
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: debate, deliberate
verb
change the arrangement or position of
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: agitate, disturb, commove, shake up, stir up, raise up
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: move, displace
Narrower terms: beat, scramble, toss, roil, rile, poke
verb
disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: worry
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: perturb, unhinge, disquiet, trouble, cark, distract, disorder
Narrower terms: misgive, eat, eat on, nag
verb
cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: annoy, rag, get to, bother, get at, irritate, rile, nark, nettle, gravel, chafe, devil
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: displease
Narrower terms: get, get under one's skin, eat into, fret, rankle, grate, peeve, ruffle, harass, hassle, harry, chivy, chivvy, chevy, chevvy, beset, plague, molest, provoke, antagonize, antagonise
History
Etymology tree Latin vexōbor. Old French vexerbor. Middle English vexen English vex From Middle English vexen, from Old French vexer, from Latin vexāre (“disturb, agitate, annoy”). Displaced native Old English dreċċan and gremman.
Across languages
71 source translations are retained for this English entry.
