different between vexatious vs vex

English

Etymology

a 1650 vexation +? -ous

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /v?k?se???s/
• Rhymes: -e???s

Adjective

vexatious (comparative more vexatious, superlative most vexatious)

1. Causing vexation or annoyance; teasing; troublesome.
2. (archaic) Full of trouble or disquiet

   Synonyms: harassed, distressed, annoyed, vexed

   • 1644, Kenelm Digby, Two Treatises - To My Son Kenelm Digby (preface)

     He leads a vexatious life.

3. (law, of an action) Commenced for the purpose of giving trouble, without due cause.

   a vexatious lawsuit

4. (law, of a party or entity) In the habit of starting vexatious litigation and therefore liable to have restraints placed on one's ability to access the courts.

   a vexatious litigant

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:annoying

Derived terms

• vexatiously
• vexatiousness

Related terms

• vex
• vexation

Translations

References

• vexatious in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• vexatious in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

English

Etymology

From Middle English vexen, from Old French vexer, from Latin v?x?re (“disturb, agitate, annoy”). Displaced native Middle English grillen (“to vex, annoy”) from Old English grillan. Doublet of quake.

Pronunciation

• enPR: v?ks, IPA^(key): /v?ks/
• Rhymes: -?ks

Verb

vex (third-person singular simple present vexes, present participle vexing, simple past and past participle vexed or (archaic) vext)

1. (transitive, now rare) To trouble aggressively, to harass.
2. (transitive) To annoy, irritate.

3. (transitive) To cause (mental) suffering to; to distress.
4. (transitive, rare) To twist, to weave.

   • some English wool, vexed in a Belgian loom

5. (intransitive, obsolete) To be irritated; to fret.
   • 1613, George Chapman, The Revenge of Bussy D'Ambois

     Wake when thou would'st wake, fear nought, vex for nought

6. (transitive) To toss back and forth; to agitate; to disquiet.

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:vex.

Synonyms

• (to annoy): agitate, irk, irritate
• (to cause mental suffering): afflict, grame, torment

Derived terms

Related terms

• quake
• vexatious

Translations

Noun

vex (plural vexes)

1. (Scotland, obsolete) A trouble.

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “vex”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Middle English

Etymology 1

Noun

vex

1. Alternative form of wax (“wax”)

Etymology 2

Verb

vex

1. Alternative form of vexen